SRINAGAR: The annual pilgrimage was progressing smoothly as fresh batch of pilgrims left base camps today for the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
A fresh batch of 437 pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Bagwati Nagar, Jammu, base camp for Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps, a yatra official said.
The yatris included about 100 sadhu and women, he said. He said today, on the 27th day of the 40-day-long yatra , 2,246 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Holy Cave.
Meanwhile, pilgrims, who had left Panjtarni after night halt, are paying obeisance since early this morning after covering two km distance on foot, he said.
With this, about 2.47 yatris had darshan at the Holy Cave since the commencement of the annual pilgrimage from June 29 from both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks.
He said a fresh batch of yatris also left Baltal base camp for the cave shrine early this morning. The pilgrims are expected to reach the cave shrine, situated at 14,000 feet in the afternoon after covering 14 km hilly terrain on foot.
Majority of the yatris will try to return to base camp today itself after paying obeisance while others will prefer to have night stay in the camp near the cave shrine.
Meanwhile, majority pilgrims, who had preferred to reach the cave shrine from traditional Pahalgam track, are also returning via Baltal track.
Similarly, fresh batch of pilgrims, who had a night halt at Nunwan Pahalgam base camp, have left for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional track.
Meanwhile, pilgrims, who had night halt at different halting stations on the traditional route, have also started their foot journey towards the cave shrine this morning. (AGENCIES)
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