Jammu, July 9 -- Amid tight security, a fresh bath of over 7,500 pilgrims left here early Wednesday for the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance at the cave shine has crossed one lakh. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine commenced on July 3 from the valley via the twin tracks - the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9.
Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the eighth batch of 7,579 pilgrims, including 5,719 men, 1,577 women and 40 children, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 318 vehicles for the twin base ...