Jammu: The annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on Friday with thousands of devotees beginning their pilgrimage to the revered Himalayan cave shrine under an extensive security cover. Pilgrims started their journey from both the Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camps in the early hours as the 57-day pilgrimage officially got underway.
Authorities flagged off the first batches shortly after daybreak despite intermittent rainfall across parts of Kashmir. The pilgrims, including sadhus, women and elderly devotees, proceeded towards the sacred cave shrine situated at an altitude of nearly 3,880 metres, where the naturally formed ice Shivling is worshipped every year.
Devotional chants echoed through both base camps as pilgrims embarked on the spiritual journey along the two designated routes. The traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route witnessed a steady movement of yatris from the morning onwards.
The yatra follows the departure of the first convoy from Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu on Thursday, where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the initial batch of devotees. After reaching the Kashmir Valley, the pilgrims were welcomed by local authorities before proceeding towards the designated base camps.
Security has been significantly strengthened for this year’s pilgrimage. Thousands of personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary organisations have been deployed along the pilgrimage routes, at base camps and around the shrine. Surveillance through aerial monitoring and other advanced security measures has also been put in place to ensure the safe movement of devotees.
Officials said elaborate arrangements have been made for accommodation, medical assistance, sanitation, traffic management and emergency response to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage throughout the season.
The Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to continue until August 28, with authorities expecting a large number of pilgrims from across the country to participate in one of Hinduism’s most significant annual religious journeys.
