3,531 pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine
30 Jun 2008, 1258 Hrs

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Jammu, June 30 (ANI): A fresh batch of 3,531 pilgrims left for the Amarnath cave shrine here today, a day after it was suspended due to bad weather.

According to official sources, the devotees, including 619 women, 70 children, left from the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar at around 5:30 a.m.

The pilgrimage was suspended on Sunday following torrential rains on the shrine route.

With today's batch, as many as 27,062 pilgrims have left Jammu for the shrine.

So far, 30,593 pilgrims, have left the Jammu base camp for the shrine. The pilgrimage ends on August 16.

Security forces have been on a high alert along the entire pilgrimage route to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.

The security setup consists of area domination and setting up of mountain posts by Army, deployments of CRPF and mobile patrolling by armed police.

Every year, a large number of devotees trek the steep, slippery 48-kilometres route to reach the Amarnath cave shrine, which stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet above sea level. (ANI)