Amid multi-tier security escort, over 7,500 pilgrims leave for Amarnath yatra

Jammu: A fresh batch of over 7,500 pilgrims left here early Tuesday for the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

The 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the valley 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.

Over 94,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine since the start of the yatra, they said.

The seventh batch of 7,541 pilgrims, including 5,516 men and 1,765 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 309 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements between 2.55 am and 4.05 am, the officials said.

The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 3,321 pilgrims in 148 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 4,220 pilgrims in 161 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said.

Since Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the yatra in Jammu on July 2, a total of 47,902 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the Valley.

There is a huge rush at the counters for on-the-spot registration, with authorities increasing the number of counters to 15 from 12, as well as the daily quota to 4,100 to ease the rush.

Over 4,000 devotees arrived in Jammu from various parts of the country to get themselves registered.

More than 3.5 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far. Thirty-four accommodation centres have been set up across Jammu, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are being issued to the pilgrims. Twelve counters have been set up for on-the-spot registration.

Arrangements have been made to provide boarding and lodging facilities for over 50,000 people at various lodgement centres across the Jammu region, from Lakhanpur to Banihal, they said.

Over 100 lodgement centres have been set up for the purpose, they added.

A total of 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), which is 30 more than previous years, have been deployed for the security of the pilgrims.