309 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath Yatra

Jammu, July 30 (IANS) Another batch of 309 pilgrims left Jammu on Sunday to undertake the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.

"Another batch of 309 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas today for the Valley at 2.50 a.m. in an escorted convoy of eight vehicles.

"The group of Yatris includes 236 males and 73 females," officials said here .

Of these, the officials said, 213 pilgrims are headed for Baltal base camp while 96 will reach the Pahalgam base camp.

Pilgrims approach the Cave Shrine either from the traditional Pahalgam base camp or through the Baltal base camp.

Pilgrims have to trek an uphill 46 kilometre long mountain track from Pahalgam to reach the Cave Shrine while the distance from Baltal to the Cave is 14 kilometres.

Helicopter services are available both at Pahalgam and Baltal for the pilgrims.

Over 2.51 lakh pilgrims have performed this year's Amarnath Yatra that will conclude on August 7 on Shravan Purnima coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan.

Forty eight pilgrims have died during this year's Yatra. Of these, 17 died in a road accident, eight were killed in the terror attack on a bus on July 10 and 23 pilgrims died of natural causes.