Srinagar: About 5,000 pilgrims today left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalyas despite cloudy weather and intermittent rains.
About 5.70 lakh pilgrims had already had darshan of the shrine since the commencement of the pilgrimage on June 25.
A Met department spokesman said here today that the sky will remain cloudy on both Baltal and Pahalgam tracks and there could be rain or thundershowers during the next 24 hours.
They yatra official said about 3,000 pilgrims, including women, children and sadhus left Baltal for holy cave at 0500 hrs this morning.
He said 2,000 yatris, including women, children and sadhus, left Nunwan Pahalgam for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional route.
He said those yatris who had night halt at different halting stations en route also started their onward journey this morning while those who had had darshan started their return journey.
