Small batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath yatra

JAMMU: Amid tight security, a small batch of 2,837 pilgrims left Jammu on Wednesday for the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

Today’s batch of pilgrims is the smallest so far to leave for Amarnath since the yatra began on July 3.

Over three lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high shrine. The 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the valley.

The 21st batch of 2,837 pilgrims, including 2,286 men and eight children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 128 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir, the officials said.

With this, a total of 1,30,378 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.

The number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has seen a dip over the past few days.

While 7,908 pilgrims left in the 16th batch for Amarnath on July 18, it was followed by by 6,365 pilgrims leaving Jammu on July 19 in the 17th batch. Subsequently, on July 20, 4,388 pilgrims left in the 18th batch, and 3,791 pilgrims departed in the 19th batch on July 21, followed by the 20th batch of 3,536 pilgrims on July 22.

Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam.

The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.(Agencies)