Small batch of 34 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath

Jammu: A small batch of 34 pilgrims today left for the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas, amid tight security. As many as 3,45,570 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave of Lord Shiva till yesterday. The batch comprising 30 men and four women left in a bus from Bhagwati Nagar base camp here at 8.20 AM, a police official said. Amid tight security arrangements provided by CRPF, the pilgrims would reach their twin base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal by this evening, he said. With today’s batch, as many as 48,354 pilgrims have so far left from the Jammu base camp for the shrine.