On Friday, a convoy of 117 vehicles departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, carrying the 23rd batch of 2,896 pilgrims—2,505 men and 314 women—headed for the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrims, escorted by CRPF and police personnel, began their journey between 3:30 AM and 4:18 AM.
Of this group, 790 pilgrims in 42 vehicles are taking the shorter, steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The remaining 2,106 pilgrims, in 75 vehicles, are traveling via the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
Since Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch on July 2, a total of 13,67,74 pilgrims have now left the Jammu base camp for the Valley. The pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 9, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine, which is known for its naturally formed ice lingam.
