The second batch of 5246 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu for the Kashmir valley to perform pilgrimage to the Amarnath Shrine. Chanting ‘Bam Bam Bhole’, the pilgrims left the base camp in a cavalcade of 268 vehicles early this morning.
These included 4074 Men, 795 Women, 19 Children, 24 Sadhus, 33 sadhvis (female sadhus) and one transgender. Of these, 1993 pilgrims left for Baltal and 3253 for Pahalgam base camp.
The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine commenced on Thursday via the twin tracks the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9.
The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 168 vehicles escorted by security police and central paramilitary forces, they said.
With this, the number of pilgrims who have left for the shrine from the Jammu base camp has reached 11,138, officials said. The second batch of pilgrims includes 4,074 men, 786 women, and 19 children. A group of pilgrims on way to the shrine said they were not deterred by the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead.