Batch of 5273 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath shrine

The 10th batch of 5,273 pilgrims on Wednesday left a base camp here to pay obeisance at the 3,880-meter high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

With this, a total of 47,546 pilgrims have so far left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp since the commencement of the yatra from Jammu on June 30, a day ahead of the official start of the 46-day pilgrimage from the twin tracks of Pahalgam and Baltal.

Till Tuesday evening, 1,21,196 yatris had offered prayers at the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-shivlingam, since the beginning of the yatra.

The yatra is scheduled to end on August 15 coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival.

The latest batch, which also included 26 children, left in a convoy of 226 vehicles under tight security cover and will reach the base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal later in the day, the officials said.

They said while 3,496 pilgrims -- including 492 women, 11 children and 188 seers- - will undertake the yatra from Pahalgam, 1777 pilgrims -- including 481 women and 15 children -- will move ahead from the Baltal track.