New Delhi:
Undeterred by the inclement weather and the recurring tragedy, a fresh batch of 3,451 pilgrims on Friday left a base camp here for Kashmir to undertake the annual Amarnath yatra, the police said.
Amid tight security, the 60-day yatra to the 3,880-metre high holy shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas began on June 28.
So far, over 1.51 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath. And, as many as 21 pilgrims have lost their lives on the way.
Braving the rains, the pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu in two separate convoys for the twin base camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district in the early hours, a police official said.
Also Read | Amarnath Yatra deaths: Maharashtra pilgrim dies en route to shrine; toll rises to 21
As many as 2,281 pilgrims are taking the yatra from the traditional 36-km Pahalgam track, while 1,170 pilgrims have opted for the shortest 12-km Baltal route. The pilgrims left in 110 vehicles amid rains which lashed wide parts of the state on Friday morning, the police added.
