Jammu, 04 August (H.S.): A batch of 964 devotees left the base camp here on Tuesday for the annual Amarnath yatra in Kashmir, the smallest batch of pilgrims so far.

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which was shut for several hours due to slippery road conditions and debris clearance operation, was reopened for traffic facilitating passage of the yatra.

The fresh batch of pilgrims left from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for Baltal in 39 vehicles around 3 am, they said.

With the departure of the batch, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Jammu base camp for the annual pilgrimage has risen to 1,41,712, officials said.

This is the smallest batch that has left for the yatra so far. While 1,056 pilgrims left Jammu for the yatra on Monday, 3,886 pilgrims left Jammu on Sunday.

The 57-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar