24th batch of over 3,100 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath

Jammu: The 24th batch of Amarnath yatris with over 3,100 pilgrims left the base camp here on Thursday for the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

Over 3.5 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine since the commencement of the pilgrimage from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal districts on July 1. A total of 3,111 pilgrims including 2,303 men, 750 women, 47 seers and 11 children left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 124 vehicles amid heavy security of the Central Reserve Police Force on Thursday morning, the officials said.

They added that 957 pilgrims heading for Baltal were the first to leave the Bhagwati Nagar camp in 41 vehicles followed by the second convoy of 83 vehicles carrying 2,154 pilgrims for Pahalgam. Over 1.33 lakh pilgrims have left the Bhagwati Nagar camp for the Valley since June 29, the day the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.