Jammu, July 18 -- A fresh batch of 3,632 pilgrims, including 877 women and 104 sadhus, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu early on Saturday to undertake the annual Amarnath Yatra in the Kashmir Valley, officials said.

The 17th batch of pilgrims left the base camp in a convoy of escorted vehicles for the twin base camps of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district between 2.40 am and 3.15 am, the officials said.

While 2,624 pilgrims are heading for Baltal, another 1,008 pilgrims preferred the traditional Pahalgam route for the yatra, they said.

The 57-day annual pilgrimage has been progressing smoothly, with more than 3.65 lakh pilgrims having paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shri...