Amid tight security, the first batch of Amarnath yatris left the base camp early Monday morning to begin this year’s annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine. The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has begun. Amid tight security, the first batch of Amarnath yatris left the base camp in Kashmir early Monday morning to begin this year’s annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine. Anantnag district development commissioner Khalid Jahangeer and other police officials flagged off the yatra at around 5.30 am from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam. Over 1.5 lakh pilgrims from across the country have so far registered themselves for the 46-day yatra, which takes place from the traditional 36-km Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
