Srinagar, July 1 -- The 38-day yatra to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath shrine begins July 3 via two routes - the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam track in Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal. The pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.

A top official told the news agency-Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that LG Sinha will flag off the first convoy of pilgrims at 4:00 am on July 2 for the Baltal route, followed by another convoy at 4:30 am for the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in South Kashmir's Anantnag district.

The pilgrims will be escorted by a robust security convoy along the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) to ensure their safety.

More than 3.31 lakh devotees have reg...