Third batch of nearly 5,000 Amarnath pilgrims leaves Jammu

The third batch of 4,812 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the Amarnath Yatra under tight security. With this, 13,499 devotees have left Jammu since July 2, while more than 12,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the holy cave shrine on Friday

Jammu: The third batch of 4,812 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in two separate convoys on Saturday to join the annual Amarnath Yatra in the Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

There were 966 women in the latest batch.

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More than 12,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine on the first day of the annual 57-day yatra, which commenced from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on Friday.

Officials said the third batch, comprising 244 sadhus and 157 sadhvis, left in 126 vehicles from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp between 3 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. amid tight security.

A total of 2,771 pilgrims, including 542 women and six children, were headed for the Pahalgam base camp, while the remaining pilgrims, including 424 women and five children, took the Baltal route.

With the latest departure, 13,499 pilgrims have embarked on the pilgrimage from Jammu since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.