A fresh batch of 2,100 pilgrims left Jammu city for the twin base camps in the valley to join the Amarnath Yatra on Friday, officials said. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal -- on July 1.
A total of 2,155 pilgrims, including 1,660 men and 443 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 95 vehicles. They are accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force personnel, the officials said. While 753 pilgrims left for Baltal in a convoy of 37 vehicles, 1,402 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in 58 vehicles, they said.
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This year's Amarnath Yatra has received an overwhelming response. As many as 3,69,288 pilgrims have undertaken the yatra so far this year as against last year's 3,65,751, according to official data.
Over 1.35 lakh pilgrims have left the Bhagwati Nagar camp for the valley since June 29, when the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The yatra will end on August 31.
