On Saturday, a new batch of 3,471 devotees set off for the holy Amarnath cave shrine nestled in the south Kashmir Himalayas. This marks the 23rd batch of pilgrims for the annual pilgrimage this year.
The group departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 3 am, traveling in a convoy of 114 vehicles under the watchful eyes of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for security. The pilgrims have the option of taking two routes:
- The traditional 48-kilometer route starting from Pahalgam in Anantnag district, chosen by 2,398 pilgrims.
- The shorter but steeper 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district, favored by 1,073 pilgrims.
This year, over 3.75 lakh devotees have already undertaken the sacred journey to witness the naturally formed ice lingam within the cave shrine. This number is lower compared to last year’s figure of over 4.5 lakh pilgrims.
The Amarnath Yatra commenced on June 29th and is scheduled to conclude on August 19th.
