Amarnath Yatra: Fresh batch of 233 pilgrims leaves from Jammu amid tight security arrangements

Representational image. CNN-News18[/caption]The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in 11 vehicles amid tight security arrangements in the early hours and are scheduled to reach the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag district later in the day, the officials said.He said while two vehicles carrying 93 pilgrims are performing the yatra from the traditional 36-kilometre Pahalgam route, 140 more pilgrims comprising 106 men and 34 women have opted the shorter 12-kilometre Baltal route.The 60-day annual yatra commenced from the twin tracks on 28 June and is scheduled to conclude on 26 August coinciding with the 'Raksha Bandhan' festival.Till Saturday evening, a total of 2,78,072 pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the cave shrine.However, the number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has marked a sharp dip over the past fortnight owing to the early melting of the naturally formed ice shivlingam at the sanctum sanctorum.