Srinagar, July 4 -- The annual Amarnath Yatra to the south Kashmir Himalayas began on Friday with the first batch of pilgrims setting off for the holy cave shrine amid chants of religious hymns following authorities announcing a cap on the number of devotees paying obeisance per day. By the afternoon, 12,348 yatris from various parts of the country had performed darshan at the Shrine. The first batch 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', officials said. The pilgrims included about 9,350 men, 2,250 women, over 200 children, 70 sadhus, nine transgender devotees, and more than 260 security personnel, officials said While the Pahalgam route is longer (48 km) but easier, the Baltal route (14 km) is steep and difficult despite being shorter. For the past few years, the administration has been widening the tracks and installing railings and lights for the ease of pilgrims. "It's the first time I am visiting the Amarnath Shrine. The arrangements are very good and we feel very secure here. I will perform darshan today and will try to return late at night," said Santosh Kumar, who had come from Pune along with two of his friends and selected the Baltal route for their pilgrimage. Another pilgrim, Satish Kumar from Delhi, said that he has been performing the yatra in alternate years. "Last year, I couldn't visit. So I was anxiously waiting for the opening of registration and on the first day I am performing the yatra," he said, adding that a good number of pilgrims will be undertaking the yatra thistime Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration handed over pamphlets carrying a special message for the pilgrims from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the message, the PM extended his heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all devotees undertaking the sacred yatra, describing the pilgrimage as an eternal symbol of India's rich spiritual heritage, cultural unity, and the spirit of selfless service. "Every pilgrim should undertake five pledges during this year's Amarnath Yatra: maintain cleanliness; adhere to all cleanliness norms and actively contribute towards keeping the pilgrimage routes clean and free from litter; strictly follow all directions issued by the administration, comply with traffic regulations and safety advisories, remain vigilant during adverse weather conditions, and take necessary precautions against slippery terrain and cold weather," the letter reads. The administration has said that no pilgrim would be permitted to undertake the Amarnath Yatra before the registered date, appealing to the devotees towait for their turn and travel only on the date assigned to them. In an advisory, it said that as directed by the Supreme Court, the maximum number of pilgrims permitted daily on the pilgrimage route has been fixed....