The annual Amarnath Yatra officially commenced on Thursday, with another batch of 5,246 pilgrims departing from Jammu for the Kashmir Valley, officials confirmed.
According to officials, the second batch of pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road in Jammu in two escorted convoys.
“Out of the total, 1,993 pilgrims are heading to the Baltal base camp, while 3,253 are bound for the Pahalgam base camp,” they added.
The 36-day-long Yatra began on Thursday morning, with the first batch of pilgrims setting off from the Baltal base camp towards the holy cave shrine. Simultaneously, others from the same batch departed from Pahalgam on foot.
Upon their arrival in the Valley on Wednesday, the pilgrims were warmly welcomed by locals – including members of civil society, traders, and other community groups – who lined up at the Navyug Tunnel in Qazigund town with garlands and placards.
J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from Jammu on Wednesday, marking the ceremonial start of this year’s Yatra.
Unprecedented security arrangements have been made for the Yatra, particularly in light of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to bolster the existing security setup, which includes the Army, security forces, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Pilgrims have been advised to travel from Jammu to the base camps only as part of official escorted convoys and not to attempt the journey individually for safety reasons.
The Yatra will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
The holy cave shrine, located 3,888 meters above sea level, can be reached via two routes: the traditional 46-kilometre-long Pahalgam route or the shorter 14-kilometre Baltal route.
Pilgrims taking the Pahalgam route pass through Chandanwadi, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni, typically taking four days to reach the shrine. In contrast, those using the Baltal route usually complete the round trip in a single day.
Due to security concerns, helicopter services are not being offered to pilgrims this year.
Local residents play a vital role in facilitating the pilgrimage by providing ponies, palkis, and even carrying elderly or infirm devotees on their backs along the difficult terrain leading to the shrine.
(With inputs from IANS)
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