Shravan purnima News
Raksha Bandhan is coinciding with Shravan Purnima - on the last Monday of Sawan making it more auspicious.
The 40-day long Yatra started on June 29 and will conclude on August 7 on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.
Pilgrims approach the shrine either through the traditional 46 km Pahalgam route or through the 14 km Baltal route.
The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 2.45 am in an escorted convoy of 16 vehicles.
A total of 48 pilgrims have died during this year. Of these, 17 died in a road accident, eight were killed in a terror attack while 23 due to natural causes.
Escorted by the CRPF and police, the batch comprising of 1,522 males, 467 females, and 235 sadhus and sadhvis left in a convoy of 85 vehicles for Baltal and Pahalgam base-camps this morning, officials said.
Over two lakh pilgrims have so far performed the yatra in the last 18 days.
"A fresh batch of 3,603 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 153 vehicles at 3.25 am," officials said here.
"A total of 3,398 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 3.30 am in an escorted convoy of 132 vehicles," the official added.
Due to security reasons, the Yatra was suspended on Saturday.
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