Pahalgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 10 (ANI): The eighth batch of devotees departed from Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam for their pilgrimage to the Holy cave of Amarnath on Thursday morning.

The 38-day annual Amarnath pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in South Kashmir began on July 3 and will conclude on August 9.

Surender, a devotee from Jaipur on his third Amarnath visit, applauded the management for the arrangements.

'This is my third visit...The management here is very good. People are cooperating with us a lot...I will pray for the well-being of everyone...' Surender told ANI.

Ambika, another pilgrim, stated that she prayed for the peace and happiness of all during the visit.

'The government has made very good arrangements...I will pray for peace and happiness,' Ambika told ANI.

Meanwhile, free langar (community kitchen) services continue to support pilgrims en route, especially at the Jammu base camp and several locations along the National Highway.

Virender Kumar Sharma, who has been organising the langar facility for the past 17 years, said, 'We have been running this langar for almost 17 years, and it's a completely free service. People come from far-off places, and whoever comes here, they have devotion towards it and also make donations. There are many langars in the city, but we run this langar for free and don't expect anything in return.'

The pilgrimage is taking place simultaneously via both the Pahalgam route (Anantnag district) and the Baltal route (Ganderbal district). Amarnath Yatra is an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave, where devotees pay homage to an ice stalagmite believed to be the lingam of Lord Shiva.

The ice stalagmite forms every year during the summer months and reaches its maximum size in July and August, when thousands of Hindu devotees make an annual pilgrimage to the cave. (ANI)