Srinagar/Jammu, July 10 -- Nearly 17,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Amarnath shrine on Wednesday in south Kashmir Himalayas, taking the total number of pilgrims this year to 128,000 in the first week, officials said here.

A total of 16,720 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine in the Himalayas in south Kashmir on Wednesday, the officials said.

The pilgrims included around 12000 men, 3800 women, four hundred security forces personnel and dozens of Sadhus and Sadhvis.

Meanwhile, a fresh batch 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 shrine has crossed one lakh.

The...