Fifth batch of 7,208 Amarnath pilgrims departs from Jammu

JAMMU: Amid chants of "Bam Bam Bhole," the fifth and largest batch of 7,208 pilgrims undertaking the Shri Amarnath Yatra 2025 departed from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp early Sunday. The journey, however, was marred by a minor mishap when a bus from Madhya Pradesh, part of the yatra convoy, suffered a brake failure and collided with four other vehicles near Chanderkote in Ramban, leaving 36 pilgrims with non-serious injuries.

The pilgrims left in a convoy of 310 vehicles under tight security, heading toward the holy cave shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas via the Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Officials said 3,199 pilgrims (2,236 men, 851 women, 18 children, 60 sadhus, and 34 sadhvis) took the Baltal route , while 4,009 (3,022 men, 736 women, 12 children, 217 sadhus, and 22 sadhvis) opted for Pahalgam.

This fifth batch follows the earlier departures of 3,500 (July 2), 5,246 (July 3), 6,411 (July 4), and 6,979 (July 5) pilgrims from the Jammu base camp.