Jammu, Jul 15 – Amid chants of “Bum Bum Bholey,” the 18th batch of over 4,800 pilgrims embarked from Jammu early Monday morning, heading to the twin base camps in Kashmir for the Amarnath Yatra, officials reported.
Escorted by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, the group of 4,875 pilgrims included 3,464 men, 1,333 women, 14 children, and 64 sadhus and sadhvis. They departed for Baltal and Pahalgam base camps in Kashmir at around 3 am in 162 vehicles.
According to officials, 2,957 pilgrims opted for the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route, while 1,918 chose the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route.
Since June 28, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch, a total of 96,072 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the Valley.
The 52-day yatra, which began on June 29, is set to conclude on August 19. Last year, over 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
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