Fresh Batch of Over 4,400 Pilgrims Leaves Jammu for Amarnath Yatra via Baltal Route

JAMMU, July 26: A fresh batch of 4,474 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu early Sunday for the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra after authorities restored traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following a major landslide in Ramban district. Officials said the 19th batch of pilgrims left in a convoy of 166 vehicles at around 2.40 am under tight security for the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district. No convoy was allowed towards the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district as repair and maintenance work is underway following damage caused by recent heavy rains. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg had announced on Saturday that the Yatra would continue exclusively through the Baltal axis until restoration work on the Pahalgam route is completed. He appealed to pilgrims and stakeholders to cooperate with the administration and strictly follow official advisories to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the pilgrimage. Officials said the 57-day pilgrimage has been progressing smoothly despite weather-related disruptions, with more than four lakh devotees having offered prayers at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine since the Yatra began on July 3. The pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. The fresh movement of pilgrims came after road restoration agencies worked overnight to clear a major landslide at Gangroo in Ramban district, which had briefly blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Saturday evening. The highway was reopened within hours, allowing the convoy carrying pilgrims to proceed safely towards the Kashmir Valley.