The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra commenced on Friday as the first batches of pilgrims set off from the Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camps towards the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir. The pilgrimage began despite intermittent rainfall, with devotees starting their journey under tight security arrangements.
The second batch of 3,865 pilgrims also departed from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in escorted convoys for the Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Officials said the batch included men, women, sadhus, sadhvis and children travelling in 201 vehicles.
Authorities have deployed multi-tier security involving the J&K Police, CRPF and other agencies for the 57-day pilgrimage, which will conclude on August 28. With the departure of the second batch, a total of 8,687 pilgrims have left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley over the past two days.
