1.53 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at Amarnath cave shrine

Over 1.53 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas even as a fresh batch of 3,333 pilgrims today left here for their onward journey.

"The yatra is going on smoothly. Over 1.53 lakh pilgrims have had darshan of naturally formed Ice Ligum of Lord Shiva at 3,888 metre high Amarnath cave shrine till today," Shri Amarnath Shrine Board officials told PTI.

All arrangements, including security, are in place to ensure smooth yatra via twin tracks from Pahalgam-Amarnath and Baltal-Amarnath, they said.

Over 9,203 pilgrims are enroute the cave shrine via the two tracks from Pahalgam and Baltal, they said.

From Jammu base camp, the 14th batch of 3,333 pilgrims left this morning for twin base camp of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir for their onward journey to Amarnath, police said.

The batch comprising of 2,259 males, 762 females, 127 children and 185 sadhus left in a convoy of 111 vehicles around 0400 hours.