Jammu, Jul 24: 22nd batch of 3500 pilgrims Thursday departed for holy Shri Amarnath shrine in South Kashmir from Jammu for undertaking annual pilgrimage in layered security.
As per officials, 2704 males, 675 females, 12 children, 81 Sadhus and 28 Sadhvis left from Jammu base camp in 140 vehicles, including 77 buses and 46 Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) for twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal.
2668 pilgrims, comprising 2087 males, 469 females, 3 children, 81 Sadhus and 28 Sadhvis left for the Pahalgam axis at 4.01 am in a convoy of 95 vehicles, including 63 buses and 20 LMVs.
832 Yatris, including 617 males, 206 females and 9 children chose the Baltal axis for Yatra. They left in a cavalcade of 45 vehicles, including 14 buses and 26 LMVs at 3.25 am.
On July 23, 2837 pilgrims as part of 21st batch departed for holy Shri Amarnath shrine from Jammu.
So far around 3.40 lakh pilgrims have already paid obeisance at the holy shrine.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from Bhagwati Nagar base camp on July 2.
The annual pilgrimage crossed its three-lakh mark on July 20 yet the number of pilgrims embarking on Yatra from Jammu has dwindled in the past couple of days.
Yatra, which formally commenced on July 3, 2025 from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes, crossed its two lakh mark on July 13, 2025 within eleven days of its commencement.