Jammu, July 7: In a tightly secured operation, a new group of over 7,000 pilgrims embarked on their pilgrimage to the revered Amarnath cave shrine in the southern Himalayas of Kashmir. Departing from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, the convoy consisting of 247 vehicles set off for the valley early on Friday.
According to officials, 4,600 pilgrims embarked on the Pahalgam route, traveling in a convoy of 153 vehicles, while the first convoy for the Baltal base camp departed at 3:45 am with 2,410 pilgrims, traveling in 94 vehicles.
Since the commencement of the yatra on June 30, a total of 43,833 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley. The footfall at the shrine has now surpassed 84,000, reflecting the devotion and participation of pilgrims.
The 62-day annual pilgrimage, which began on July 1, will conclude on August 31. The entire yatra is being closely monitored from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), where various departments coordinate and communicate with their field staff to meet the needs of the pilgrims.
