SRINAGAR: A total of 4,640 pilgrims undertaking the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in the early hours of Friday for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam under multi-layer security arrangements, officials said.
The pilgrims travelled in 171 vehicles, with 1,626 pilgrims proceeding to the Baltal route in 66 vehicles and 3,014 pilgrims heading for the Pahalgam route in 105 vehicles.
Officials said the Baltal convoy departed at 2:42 am, while the Pahalgam convoy left at 3:11 am.
The 16th batch comprised 3,448 male pilgrims, 1,075 female pilgrims, five children, 89 sadhus and 23 sadhvis. No foreign pilgrims or transgender devotees were part of the convoy.
The convoy consisted of 104 buses, 25 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), 39 light motor vehicles (LMVs) and three two-wheelers.
With the departure of the latest batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Kashmir-based holy cave shrine since the commencement of this year’s pilgrimage has reached 1,09,128, according to official figures.
