Jammu, July 4
The fifth batch with the highest number of 5,522 pilgrims so far left a base camp here for the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, amid tight security arrangements on Thursday.
As many as 35,000 pilgrims had paid obeisance at the cave shrine till Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Over 1.5 lakh pilgrims from across the country have so far registered themselves for the 46-day long pilgrimage, which has two routes—the 36-km Pahalgam track in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district and the 14-km stretch from Baltal in Ganderbal district.
The fifth batch of 5,522 pilgrims—4,456 men, 871 women, 31 children and 164 seers—left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here at around 3.30 am for Pahalgam and Baltal in a fleet of 235 vehicles, officials said.
As many as 2,501 pilgrims left the base camp for the Pahalgam route in 106 buses and light motor vehicles, while 2,520 left for Baltal in 129 buses and light motor vehicles, which were escorted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, they added.
|
