Monitor News Desk
Over 80,000 devotees performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra so far as another batch of 5,726 pilgrims left Jammu for the Valley on Thursday .
Official sources said that 5,726 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Valley on Thursday in two escorted convoys.
“Of these, 2,109 are going to Baltal base camp while 3,617 are going to Pahalgam base camp,” sources said.
Yatris approach the cave shrine either from the Baltal route or from the traditional Pahalgam route.
Those using the Baltal route have to trek 14 km to reach the cave shrine while those using the Pahalgam route have to trek 48 km to reach the cave shrine.
Pilgrims using the Baltal route return to the base camp the same day after having ‘darshan’ at the shrine.
Helicopter services are also available on both the routes for the pilgrims.
The 43-day long yatra commenced on June 30 from the twin tracks — traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of ‘Shravan Purnima’ coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
