JAMMU, Aug 3: On Thursday, the 32nd batch of Amarnath Yatris, comprising more than 1,100 pilgrims, commenced their journey from the base camp in Jammu towards the sacred cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrimage is being conducted with stringent security arrangements in place, as over 4.3 lakh devotees have already paid their respects at the 3888-meter high shrine since the Yatra began on July 1, according to officials.
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine spans 62 days and began from two tracks: the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal. The batch that departed on Thursday included 1,198 pilgrims, comprising 1,023 men, 116 women, 58 seers, and a child. They traveled in a convoy of 43 vehicles from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, heading to the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam.
Out of the 1,198 pilgrims, 932 are destined for Pahalgam, traveling in a convoy of 33 vehicles, while the remaining 266 pilgrims are heading to the Baltal base camp, traveling in a convoy of 10 vehicles.
The Yatra is set to conclude on August 31.
