Jammu, Aug 3 : As more than 4.85 lakh pilgrims already performed the annual Amarnath Yatra during the last 35 days, a small batch of 991 Yatris left for the Valley on Saturday.

The number of pilgrims going to the Amarnath cave shrine appears to have already peaked as more than 4.85 lakh devotees have performed the pilgrimage this year so far, exceeding last year's number of 4.45 lakh those who went to the cave shrine for 'Darshan'.

A large number of security forces, including police and Central Armed Police Forces, have been doing round-the-clock duties all along the more than 350-km-long route from Jammu to the two base camps to secure the pilgrims' passage.

In addition to this, security forces are deployed in sufficient numbers at the transit camps, base camps and the cave shrine for the safety of the Yatris.

Locals are not far behind in ensuring that the Yatris are assisted to perform the mountainous journey with ease.

Locals provide ponies and also work as porters for the pilgrims, often carrying the weak and infirm devotees on their backs to and from the cave shrine.

Officials of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, have been managing the affairs of the Yatra with professional competence.

All this together, has ensured this year's safe, smooth and hassle-free pilgrimage to the cave shrine through some of the most rugged and treacherous mountain terrain in the Himalayas.

Officials said that another batch of 991 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Valley on Saturday morning.

"Of these, 176 are going to north Kashmir Baltal base camp while 815 are going to south Kashmir Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp," officials added.

The cave shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that wanes and waxes with the phases of the moon. Devotees believe that this ice stalagmite structure symbolises the mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas. Devotees approach the cave shrine either from the traditional south Kashmir Pahalgam route or the north Kashmir Baltal route.

The Pahalgam Cave shrine axis is 48 km long and it takes Yatris four to five days to reach the shrine.

The Baltal-Cave shrine axis is 14 Km long and it takes one day for the pilgrims to have 'Darshan' and reach back to the base camp.

Helicopter services are also available for the pilgrims, both at Baltal on the north Kashmir route and at Chandanwari on the south Kashmir route.

This year's Yatra will conclude after 52 days on August 29, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

/IANS