SANJY: Fresh Batch of 2896 Pilgrims leaves for Holy Shrine as Yatra nears 4 Lakh mark

Jammu, Jul 25: A fresh batch of 2,896 Amarnath pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu in the early hours of Friday for the sacred Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir. Escorted by CRPF and police forces, the 23rd batch comprising 2,505 men and 314 women set off between 3:30 AM and 4:18 AM in 117 vehicles, heading toward the twin base camps in the Valley.
The convoy was split between two pilgrimage routes. A group of 790 pilgrims took the shorter but steeper 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district, while the majority—2,106 pilgrims—opted for the traditional 48-kilometer Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
Since the annual Amarnath Yatra began on July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch, over 1.36 lakh pilgrims have departed from Jammu. Meanwhile, the total number of devotees who have visited the holy cave shrine has already surpassed 3.5 lakh. On Thursday alone, 9,482 pilgrims, including 6,805 men, 2,130 women, and 330 security personnel, paid obeisance at the 3,800-metre-high shrine.
The yatra will culminate on August 9, aligning with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Adding spiritual significance to the ongoing pilgrimage, the sacred Chhari Mubarak, the saffron-robed holy mace of Lord Shiva, was taken to the historic Shankaracharya temple in Srinagar on Thursday. Led by Mahant Deependra Giri, the Chhari Mubarak was brought from Dashnami Akhara for traditional prayers on the auspicious occasion of Haryali Amavasya. The ceremony was marked by the chanting of Vedic hymns and collective prayers for the peace and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir.
As per tradition, the Chhari Mubarak will also visit the Sharika Bhawani temple at Hari Parbat on Friday. Rituals including Chhari-Sthapana and Chhari-Pujan are scheduled in the coming days at Shri Amareshwar temple and Dashnami Akhara, leading up to the final pujan at the Amarnath cave shrine on Shravan Purnima, August 9.
Earlier on Thursday, another batch of 3,500 pilgrims, including sadhus and children, also left Jammu for Pahalgam and Baltal. With heightened security and coordinated efforts, this year’s yatra continues smoothly, reflecting the spiritual fervor and religious devotion that defines one of India’s most revered pilgrimages.