third-batch-departs-jammu-for-amarnath-yatra

Over 6,600 pilgrims embarked on the Amarnath Yatra from Jammu on Sunday, officials announced, joining more than 13,000 others who had visited the cave shrine a day earlier.

Escorted by security forces, the third batch of 6,619 pilgrims departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu. They travelled in two convoys comprising 319 vehicles, heading towards the Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camps.

"At 3:50 a.m., 2,781 pilgrims set off in 151 vehicles for the Baltal base camp, while 3,838 pilgrims departed at 4:42 a.m. in 168 vehicles for Nunwan," officials stated.

The 52-day Amarnath Yatra, which began on June 29 and will conclude on August 19, coincides with the festivals of Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima. Pilgrims choose between the traditional 48-km Pahalgam-Cave shrine route or the shorter 14-km Baltal-Cave shrine route.

The cave shrine, located 3,888 metres above sea level, houses an ice stalagmite structure revered as symbolic of Lord Shiva's mythical powers, believed to wax and wane with the lunar phases.

Security arrangements have been heightened along the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar highway, at the Yatra routes, base camps, and the cave shrine to ensure safety. More than 124 community kitchens ('Langars') and over 7,000 volunteers ('Sevadars') are aiding pilgrims along the routes and at the shrine.

Railway authorities have scheduled additional trains from July 3 to manage the influx of pilgrims, while helicopter services are also available for quicker access to the shrine on both routes.