Tenth batch of over 6,100 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath from Jammu

Amid tight security, the tenth batch of over 6,100 Amarnath pilgrims left from here on Friday for the twin base camps of 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

A total of 6,159 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 249 vehicles amid heavy security of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), they said.

Of these, 4,754 are males, 1,220 females, 35 children, 139 sadhus and 12 sadhvis, they said.

They said 2,037 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp in 95 vehicles around 3.30 am followed by the second convoy of 154 vehicles carrying 4,122 pilgrims for Pahalgam.

A total of 63,487 pilgrims have reached the valley from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp since June 29 -- when the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

The annual 43-day yatra commenced from the twin base camps -- traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal -- on June 30.

So far, over one lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam, officials said.

The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.