709 pilgrims leave for Amarnath

Jammu: A batch of 709 pilgrims on Sunday left Jammu for the Kashmir Valley to perform the ongoing Amarnath Yatra.

“They left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 20 vehicles. Some of them would head along the Baltal, others towards the Pahalgam treks,” police said.

The annual pilgrimage has been going on for the last 32 days and till Saturday, 2,56,000 pilgrims have performed the yatra at the Himalayan Cave Shrine that houses an ice stalagmite structure believed to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

The 60-day Amarnath Yatra will end on August 26, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.

IANS