Fresh batch of pilgrims leave for Amarnath

Jammu: Pilgrims ready to leave after the first batch of the Amarnath Yatra was flagged off from Jammu's base camp in Bhagwant Nagar on June 27, 2018. (Photo: IANS)


A batch of 1,632 pilgrims left Jammu on Saturday to perform the Amarnath Yatra.

They left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two batches of 1,011 and 621. The first one headed to Pahalgam base camp and the other to the Baltal one in escorted convoys.

Over 7,000 pilgrims paid their obeisance on Thursday.

Except for the vagaries of weather triggering a landslide in which four pilgrims were killed, the 2018 Yatra has been proceeding normally.

The number of pilgrims paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath of South Kashmir Himalayas have crossed the two lakh mark.

An official of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said Governor N N Vohra, who is also chairman of the board, held a meeting earlier this week to review the latest status of the ongoing yatra, which commenced on June 28.

CEO of SASB Umang Narula and additional CEO Bhupinder Kumar informed the governor that due to the continuous rainfall overnight on Monday, the yatra was suspended from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes for some time, but later it resumed.

Vohra reiterated his earlier directions to the officials to closely monitor the yatra, ensure effective coordination with all the agencies involved in the conduct of pilgrimage, and ensure safety and security of the yatris.

 

(With agency inputs)