Srinagar: The annual pilgrimage was going on smoothly on Tuesday as fresh batches of yatris, chanting ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Bam Bam Bholay’ left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, where so far 36,366 yatris had paid obeisance so far.

A fresh batch of 3,489 yatris, including women and sadhus, left Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu base camp for Kashmir early this morning.

Large number of pilgrims are paying obeisance since this morning at the cave shrine, where highest number of 22,550 had darshan of the self made Ice-Shivlingam on the fifth day on Monday. However, during the first three days, due to slippery track conditions and landslides, triggered by rain, yatra was disrupted.

An official of the yatra control room told UNI that fresh batch of pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Baltal base camps for the holy Cave shrine early this morning though the sky was cloudy. The pilgrims after tracking 14-km-long hilly track will reach the holy shrine in the afternoon, he said, adding that most of the pilgrims will try to return after paying obeisance at the cave while others will prefer to stay in the camps.

Meanwhile, the pilgrims, who had darshan at the cave shrine on Sunday, also started return journey for base camp.

A fresh batch of pilgrims also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional route. Majority of them prefer to travel in vehicles while sadhus cover the distance on foot.

Meanwhile, pilgrims, who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting stations on the track, have also started their foot journey towards the cave shrine this morning. Similarly, yatris, who had night halt at different halting stations, are also on way to holy cave.