Fresh batch of 2,083 pilgrims leave for Amarnath

A fresh batch of 2,083 pilgrims today left here for their onward journey to cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas.

The batch comprising 1,333 men, 517 women, 42 children and 191 sadhus, left in a cavalcade of 65 vehicles from the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar at around 0400 hours despite heavy rains lashing wide parts of Jammu province, officials said.

The pilgrims are likely to reach Baltal and Pahalgam by the evening to undertake trekking towards the cave shrine, located at 3,888 meters in south Kashmir.

With today's batch, as many as 52,249 pilgrims have left from here so far to the cave shrine since the commencement of the yatra on June 30.

Meanwhile, reports from Srinagar said that as many as 2,52,982 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine since the commencement of the nearly two-month long yatra.