Amarnath Yatra: Over 500 pilgrims leave for twin base camps from Jammu

A fresh batch of over 500 pilgrims left Jammu city on Monday for the twin base camps in the valley to join the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, 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 534 pilgrims, including 451 men and 67 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here in a convoy of 46 vehicles amid tight security, the officials said.

While 354 pilgrims left for the Pahalgam base camp in a convoy of 14 vehicles, 180 devotees left for the Baltal base camp in a convoy of 10 vehicles, they said.

Over 4.55 lakh devotees have paid obeisance at the cave shrine since July 1, according to official data.

The yatra will conclude on August 31.