Ishfaq Gulzar CNI

Jammu, Jul 6: Amid incessant rains, a fresh batch of over 7,200 pilgrims left the base camp here early Sunday for the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.

The 38-day annual pilgrimage, which started on July 3, crossed the 50,000 mark on Sunday.

The fifth batch of 7,208 pilgrims, including 1,587 women and 30 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in two separate convoys amid tight security arrangements between 3.35 am and 4.15 am, the officials said.

This was the largest batch of pilgrims since Wednesday, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the yatra from here.

With this, a total of 31,736 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley.

The first pilgrim convoy carrying 3,199 pilgrims in 147 vehicles left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district followed by second convoy of 4,009 pilgrims in 160 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra from the 48-km traditional Pahalgam