Amarnath Yatra sees season’s highest single-day departure as 8,815 leave Jammu

Sixth batch moves in 363 vehicles; over 86,000 have visited shrine in first four days

Jammu: The sixth batch of the annual Amarnath Yatra saw a record 8,815 pilgrims depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Tuesday, the highest single-day movement of the season so far.

An official said the convoy of 363 vehicles, which left under tight security, was split into two routes — 3,989 pilgrims in 181 vehicles for the Baltal axis at 3.35 am, and 4,826 pilgrims in 182 vehicles for the Pahalgam route at 4.08 am.

Among those who left were 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 he said.

With the latest batch, the 57-day pilgrimage, which began on July 3, has seen over 86,000 devotees offer prayers at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine so far. The yatra is being conducted under multi-layered security arrangements, with authorities monitoring the twin routes round the clock the official added. (KNS)