Jammu, July 27 (IANS): Over 4.4 lakh Yatris performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra over the last 28 days, and another batch of 1,771 pilgrims have left Jammu for Kashmir valley on Saturday.

Officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) headed by J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha manage the affairs of the annual pilgrimage.

Officials of SASB said that over 4.40 lakh pilgrims had ‘Darshan’ inside the holy cave shrine over the last 28 days since the Yatra started on June 29.

Over 8,000 Yatris had darshan on Friday.

Another batch of 1,771 Yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu today at 3.25 a.m. in two escorted convoys for the Valley.

"The first convoy carrying 772 Yatris left in an escorted convoy of 30 vehicles for north Kashmir's Baltal base camp," officials said.

“The second escorted convoy of 33 vehicles carrying 999 Yatris left for south Kashmir's Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp,” they added.

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

The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres above the sea level in Kashmir. 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 return to the base camp.

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