Jammu, July 13: In the early hours of Thursday, a significant contingent of over 9,200 pilgrims embarked on the journey to the Amarnath shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. This batch, the largest so far, commenced their pilgrimage from the base camp in Jammu.
Among the pilgrims, 6,035 individuals set off in a convoy of 194 vehicles heading towards Pahalgam, while another convoy consisting of 112 vehicles transported 3,206 pilgrims to the Baltal base camp at 3:30 am.
This latest batch brings the total number of pilgrims departing from the Jammu base camp since June 30 to 65,544. Since July 1, a remarkable 1,46,508 pilgrims have already visited the shrine to offer their prayers.
The annual 62-day pilgrimage to the cave shrine, situated at an elevation of 3,888 meters, commenced on July 1 from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. The pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 31.
With enhanced security measures in place, authorities continue to ensure the safe passage and smooth functioning of the Amarnath yatra, facilitating pilgrims in their spiritual journey.