In Jammu and Kashmir, the 8th batch of over 7 thousand Amarnath pilgrims left for the twin base camps of Nunwan Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district, under tight security arrangements early this morning from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas.

Our Jammu Correspondent reports that a total of 7010 pilgrims including 5179 males, 1549 Female, 21 Children, 228 Sadhu and 33 Sadhvi left Jammu base camp in a cavalcade of 247 vehicles amid tight security arrangements. 2410 pilgrims left via the base camp of Baltal in 94 vehicles, while 4600 pilgrims left via the traditional Nunwan Pahalgam base camp in 153 vehicles. These pilgrims will reach their respective base camps by the evening today from where they will proceed for their further sojourn early tomorrow morning. 

However, over 300 pilgrims, who were duped by the travel agencies by providing them fake registration documents for their yatra have also been given permits after fresh registration at on-the-spot counters in Jammu. So far a total of 84,768 pilgrims have visited the Amarnath cave shrine since the beginning of the Yatra on July 1. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1 which is scheduled to conclude on August 31. The Yatra is progressing smoothly, with devotees from across the country thronging the base camps to have a glimpse of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam and offer their prayers.