The news has come into prominence that the 25th batch of 1,240 pilgrims on Monday left from Jammu base camp for their onward journey to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir. In fact, police said in Jammu that accompanied by a protecting escort of 44 vehicles with 1,240 devotees left from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at around 4.50 a.m. towards Amarnath. The 25th batch of pilgrims, which included 950 male, 230 women and 15 children, apart from 45 sadhus, are on way to twin base camps of Pahalagam and Baltal in Kashmir Valley. Accompanying Monday’s batch a total of 45,741 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath so far. The yatra, which had been postponed on July 19, as a precautionary measure in wake of the firing incident in Ramban belt, continued after interruption on Saturday evening. In the incident, four people were destroyed at the same time 42 others experienced  injury. An approximation of 2.60 lakh pilgrims have participated in this year’s yatra to execute the darshan of the naturally-formed ice lingam at Amarnath cave in south Kashmir Himalayas.

(AW:Samrat Biswas)