Amarnath Yatra sees 7,754 pilgrims leave Jammu under heavy security
India
The latest batch of the Amarnath Yatra saw 7,754 people heading out from Jammu on Monday, all under heavy security.
This annual trek to the famous ice Lingam shrine of Lord Shiva kicked off on July 2 and runs through August 28.
So far, more than 252,000 devotees have joined in this year.
Pilgrims travel in over 300 vehicles
This group included men, women, sadhus, and sadhvis (Hindu ascetics), children, and a few transgender pilgrims, all traveling in more than 300 vehicles.
Some left as early as 3:30am for Baltal, while others took off at 4:05am for Pahalgam.
The camp buzzed with chants like Bam Bam Bhole, and most travelers seemed happy with the arrangements, though officials did flag concerns over some unregistered participants during this busy time.