Banihal, Jul 12: The eleventh batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Sunday amid stringent security arrangements, with more than 9,100 devotees proceeding towards the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam.
According to officials, a total of 9,153 pilgrims departed in a convoy of 359 vehicles. Of them, 3,429 pilgrims were headed for the shorter Baltal route in 149 vehicles, while 5,724 pilgrims left for the traditional Pahalgam route in 210 vehicles.
The batch comprised 6,522 men, 2,233 women, 18 children, 267 sadhus, 112 sadhvis, and one sadhu child. No foreign pilgrims or transgender pilgrims were part of Sunday’s convoy, officials said.
The convoy was escorted under a multi-layer security grid by personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, and other security agencies. Separate escort teams accompanied both the Baltal- and Pahalgam-bound convoys to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Officials said the Baltal-bound convoy had reached Banihal by the morning, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy halted at the Chanderkote Yatri Langar in Ramban for breakfast before continuing its journey towards the Kashmir Valley under tight security and regulated traffic arrangements.
With the departure of the eleventh batch, the cumulative number of pilgrims who have left Jammu for the ongoing pilgrimage has reached 79,947, reflecting the smooth and steady progress of this year’s annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in the Himalayas.
