Amid tight security, the second batch of more than 5,200 pilgrims left the base camp here on Thursday for the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine commenced on Thursday 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.
The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 168 vehicles escorted by security police and central paramilitary forces, they said.
With this, the number of pilgrims who have left for the shrine from the Jammu base camp has reached 11,138, officials said.