Jammu, July 31: More than 471,000 devotees have participated in the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, surpassing last year's total of 445,000 pilgrims. On Wednesday, an additional 1,654 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the Valley.
Officials noted that yesterday alone, 5,000 devotees undertook the Yatra. The pilgrims were escorted in two convoys: the first convoy, carrying 456 pilgrims, headed to the North Kashmir Baltal base camp, while the second convoy, with 1,198 pilgrims, went to the South Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
This year's Yatra has been facilitated with extensive security arrangements, community kitchens (Langars), transit and base camps, and continuous presence of security forces along the Jammu-Kashmir highway, ensuring a safe and smooth journey for all participants.
Local support has been crucial, with residents offering assistance such as employing ponies and serving as porters to aid pilgrims, including those who are physically challenged, navigating the challenging mountainous terrain along both routes to the shrine.
