Jammu, July 30 (PTI) Amarnath Yatra continued from Jammu amid heavy rains as another batch of more than 1300 pilgrims left from here on Wednesday for the twin base camps of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas.
Authorities on Wednesday suspended the yatra on both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to heavy rains in Kashmir, a senior official said.
More than 3.86 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the ‘ice lingum’ of Lord Shiva at 3880-meter-high cave shrine since the 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the valley.
The 28th batch of pilgrims, which included 1,070 men, 210 women, 2 children, 57 sadhus and sadhvis, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 58 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir between 3:28 am and 3.47 am, escorted by CRPF and police personnel, officials said.
The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 322 pilgrims in 16 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 1,017 pilgrims in 42 vehicles, who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district, they said. With this, a total of 14,41,24 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
The pilgrimage is scheduled to end on August 9, coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival. PTI AB MNK MNK
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