15th batch leaves for Amarnath hill shrine

Braving curfew and blockades at several places along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, another batch of 2081 pilgrims leave the Jammu for the Amarnath cave shrine.

Braving curfew and blockades at several places along the Jammu-Srinagar highway, another batch of 2081 pilgrims on Thursday left the Jammu for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.

HT Image

The batch comprising 387 women and 46 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu around 0515 hours on Thursday and are being escorted by CRPF personnel, officials told PTI.

The cavalcade carrying the pilgrims have crossed Batote on the highway and will reach Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir valley by this evening, they said.

A total of 36,363 pilgrims have so far left the base camp in Jammu to the Lord Shiva temple since commencement of the pilgrimage on June 17.

The yatra was suspended four times due to bad weather and heavy rush of pilgrims on June 20, 25, 27 and 29.