Srinagar, July 2: The 57-day Amarnath yatra to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will begin on both routes from Friday amid tight security measures.
The yatra will proceed through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, and conclude on August 28.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the cave of Amarnath from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp in Jammu, today.
In the first batch, more than 4800 pilgrims set off for the yatra of Amarnath in a convoy of 259 light and heavy vehicles.
“Amarnath Yatra is a sacred path where devotion meets spiritual awakening. I wish all devotees a safe, comfortable, blissful and spiritually fulfilling journey. May this holy pilgrimage bring immense joy and divine peace to all,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
J&K UT administration, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, J&K Police, Army, security forces, local community and all the stakeholders have made extensive arrangements for the devotees coming from across the country and abroad.
Spiritual leaders; heads of religious organizations; public representatives; senior officers of civil administration, Police, security forces and Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, prominent citizens, and devotees in large number were present at the Flag-off ceremony.
Before the flag-off, Sinha performed a special puja at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp, officials said. He was joined by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, local BJP legislators, senior civil and police officials, and representatives of various religious organisations.
The yatra convoy left for Kashmir amid elaborate security arrangements.
Pilgrims said they were satisfied with the arrangements made by the administration and security agencies. Suresh Kumar from Surat, who is undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time, praised the facilities and assistance provided by the administration and the Army.
Baba Goga Nath of Junagarh Akhara described the journey as a blessing and praised the arrangements for seers and devotees. Another seer, Sukham Dass, who arrived with 20 sadhus from Kashi and has been undertaking the pilgrimage for the past 32 years, said facilities for elderly and specially abled pilgrims had improved significantly.
Vaibhav, a pilgrim from Uttarakhand, said he was happy to be part of the first batch and expressed confidence in the security arrangements.
The yatra convoy was escorted under heavy security, while traffic restrictions and area domination measures were enforced along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims.
Amid deep spiritual fervor, the first batch of pilgrims travelling through Pahalgam Axis today arrived at Base Camp Nunwan, Pahalgam.
The yatris received warm welcome from officials and locals on their entry into the Valley.
The Yatris were warmly welcomed by Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag (Yatra Officer), Dr. Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, Sr. Superintendent of Police, Amod Ashok Nagpure, Camp Director, Atul Kumar, senior officers from civil and police administration and representatives of various socio-religious organisations.
Srinagar district administration welcomed the first batch of pilgrims at Byepass, Pantha Chowk.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Akshay Labroo, along with Senior Superintendent of Police, Sundeep Chakravarthy, received the pilgrims on their arrival and conveyed best wishes for a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey. The Officers also reviewed the arrangements put in place to ensure the comfort and convenience of the yatris.
A traffic official said restrictions would remain in force on various stretches of the highway from July 2 to August 28, with daily advisories and sector-wise cut-off timings to regulate movement.
More than 3.90 lakh devotees have registered for this year's pilgrimage, and on-the-spot registration has also started in Jammu. Officials said the Jammu region had been placed under an extensive security grid with multi-layered deployment and technology-based surveillance.
Authorities have made unprecedented security arrangements for the yatra.
“Multi-layer security grid is firmly in place. We have conducted several contingency drills, and all agencies are working in close coordination to ensure the Yatra passes off safely and smoothly,” IGP Kashmir said.
From the winding mountain roads to the high-altitude cave shrine nestled in the Himalayas, security forces have created an extensive safety network involving Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Armed Police Forces, Army, intelligence agencies and disaster response teams.
Officials said nearly 670 additional companies of CAPFs have been deployed across the pilgrimage routes, base camps and vulnerable stretches to strengthen security during the annual yatra.
To ensure pilgrim safety and seamless management, RFID chips have been introduced for yatris this year.
Officials said the RFID-based tracking system will help authorities monitor pilgrim movement in real time and strengthen emergency response mechanisms during adverse weather or medical situations.
Police has also launched the “PEHCHAAN” mobile application aimed at creating a hassle-free and digitally connected Yatra ecosystem.