Amarnath Yatra from Jammu resumed on the evening of July 20,two days after it was halted following imposition of curfew in many parts of Kashmir Valley due to a firing incident in Gool area which claimed four lives. "A fresh batch of 1,834 pilgrims,including 45 saints,left for the Valley from Jammu base camp at 5:35 pm," a police official said. Amid tight security,the batch of pilgrims left Bagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 56 vehicles,he said. The yatra to the 3,888-metre high Amarnath cave shrine situated in South Kashmir Himalayas was suspended after curfew was clamped in Kashmir Valley and some other areas of the state following a firing incident in Ramban district that left four persons dead and several others injured on Thursday. The yatra was suspended on July 19 and no fresh batch was allowed till the morning of July 20,he said. Over 2.50 lakh pilgrims have participated in this year's yatra to perform the 'darshan' of the naturally-formed ice lingam of Lord Shiva at Amarnath cave. From Jammu alone,22 batches comprising of 41,673 pilgrims had left for the cave shrine till the evening of July 19. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway route which was closed after the violence broke out,has been reopened for vehicular traffic,the official said.
