The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Friday as the first batches of pilgrims left the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan to start their journey to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas that houses a naturally formed ice lingam

The annual Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3, with a large number of devotees arriving at the Tawi riverfront where the on spot registration for the yatra is taking place