SRINAGAR: A fresh batch of 1,795 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu early Thursday for the Baltal base camp to undertake the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra, with authorities maintaining extensive security arrangements along the route.
According to the Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), Jammu, the 23rd batch left at 2:44 a.m. in a convoy of 83 vehicles, comprising 41 buses, 11 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 30 light motor vehicles (LMVs) and one two-wheeler.
The batch included 1,406 male and 389 female pilgrims. Officials said no convoy was scheduled to travel via the Pahalgam route on Thursday, with all pilgrims proceeding through the Baltal axis.
The convoy is travelling under a multi-layer security arrangement, with escort vehicles and an ambulance accompanying the pilgrims throughout the journey, officials said.
With the departure of Thursday’s convoy, the cumulative number of pilgrims who have left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for this year’s annual pilgrimage has risen to 1,34,201, according to the JPCR.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave shrine is continuing smoothly, with authorities maintaining comprehensive security, traffic management and logistical arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the Baltal route.
