Small batch of devotees leave for Amarnath

Jammu: A small batch of 56 pilgrims Thursday left for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas from here.

A convoy of four vehicles carrying the 42nd batch of pilgrims, including 49 men and 7 women left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 4:20 AM, police said. The convoy has already crossed Kud on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and would reach their destinations at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps by this evening, they said. With today`s batch, a total of 54,202 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath so far. Today`s batch is the smallest so far. Meanwhile, another batch of 621 pilgrims left for Budha Amarnath shrine in Poonch district in a cavalcade of 19 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu city.