2,416 more pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine

Jammu: Braving heavy rains, 2,416 more pilgrims left on the Amarnath Yatra from a base camp here on Thursday, officials said.

This was the 25th batch of pilgrims to leave Jammu for the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

A little over three lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine till Wednesday evening. Over 3.30 lakh pilgrims from across the country have so far registered themselves for the 46-day-long pilgrimage, which takes place from the 36-km Pahalgam track in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district and 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. Thursday's batch, including 1,789 men, left in a fleet of 99 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir Valley, they added.