Jammu, July 7 (NVI): A record 8,815 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Tuesday for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir as part of the sixth batch of the annual Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The pilgrims travelled in a convoy of 363 vehicles under multi-layered security arrangements, making it the highest single-day departure since the pilgrimage began on July 3.
According to officials, 3,989 pilgrims in 181 vehicles left for the shorter Baltal route at around 3:35 am, while 4,826 pilgrims in 182 vehicles departed for the traditional Pahalgam route at about 4:08 am.
The batch included 5,831 men, 2,193 women, 30 children, 598 sadhus, 131 sadhvis, one child sadhu and 31 foreign male pilgrims.
Officials said the convoy comprised 172 buses, 58 medium motor vehicles, 130 light motor vehicles and three two-wheelers.
The annual 57-day pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,880 metres in the Himalayas, has witnessed a strong response from devotees. Officials said more than 86,000 pilgrims had offered prayers at the shrine during the first four days of the Yatra.(NVI)
