Banihal, Jul 15: The 14th batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Wednesday under multi-layer security arrangements, with 6,251 devotees proceeding towards the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir.
According to the Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), 2,985 pilgrims opted for the Baltal route while 3,266 pilgrims left for the Pahalgam axis. The convoy comprised 230 vehicles, including 137 buses, 34 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), and 59 light motor vehicles (LMVs).
The pilgrims included 4,439 men, 1,614 women, 13 children, 78 sadhus, 53 sadhvis, one sadhu child, three transgender pilgrims, and 50 foreign male pilgrims.
The Baltal-bound convoy departed at 2:42 am, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy left at 3:27 am under multi-layer security arrangements.
As per the established Yatra traffic plan, the Baltal-bound convoy will halt at the Lambar Ground Langar in Banihal for breakfast, while pilgrims travelling via the Pahalgam route will stop at the Chanderkote Langar sites in Ramban district for breakfast and a brief rest before resuming their onward journey to the Kashmir Valley.
Hundreds of volunteers and service providers at the langar sites continue to offer free meals, refreshments, drinking water and medical assistance to the pilgrims. The district administration of Ramban, security agencies and traffic police have made elaborate arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the smooth and safe movement of the Yatra convoy.
With the departure of the 14th batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the holy cave shrine this year has reached 99,287, officials said.
