JAMMU, July 2: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims numbering over 5,880 amid multi-tier security cover, marking the beginning of this year’s pilgrimage from here.
The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high shrine will commence on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
A batch of 5,892 pilgrims, including 1,115 women, 31 children and 16 transgenders left the base camp in the first batch at 4.30 am to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said.
The yatra will conclude on August 9.
More than 3.31 lakh devotees have registered so far for this year’s Amarnath Yatra, officials said.
The L-G performed pooja soon after his arrival at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp and later flagged off the yatra for the twin base camps in Kashmir, officials said.
Sinha was flanked by local MLAs, top officials and heads of various religious organisations during the flagging-off ceremony.
“I have flagged off the first batch of pilgrims of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra from Bhagwati Nagar base camp. Wishing all spiritual seekers a safe and comfortable journey to the holy abode of Lord Shiva for a deeply soul-stirring experience. Prayed to Baba Amarnath for peace and blessings to all,” Sinha said.
“The devotees from all over the country are here. It feels like there is a big festival in Jammu city. The enthusiasm is very high. The devotees of Bholenath have defied all terror threats and are coming here in large numbers for darshan of Bholenath,” Sinha added.
On security, he said the yatra is being monitored 24×7 from the Integrated Command and Control Centre at Raj Bhawan and the Police Control Room, while an RFID-based tracking system has also been put in place.
He said a 100-bed hospital has been constructed by ONGC at both the Chandanwari and Baltal Yatra base camps.
He added that a board office and Yatri Niwas have been inaugurated in Srinagar.
“We will also be inaugurating such a facility in Baltal on July 4,” he said.
“The facilities for devotees coming for the Amarnath Yatra have improved since 2022. Twin routes leading to the cave shrine of Amarnath used to be six feet wide, which are now twelve feet wide,” he said.
Amid chants of “Bum Bum Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev”, enthusiastic pilgrims numbering over 4,000 braved heavy rain as they left in a convoy of vehicles for Amarnath from Jammu, which was transformed into a city of divinity.
Undeterred by the Pahalgam terrorist attack that left 26 people dead on April 22, the pilgrims said the increasing number of devotees thronging the yatra will send a befitting reply to terrorists and Pakistan — that they do not fear them.
Sarwanand Patel, a yatri from Gujarat who left in the first batch from Jammu, said, “No matter how many attacks happen or how many bombs are hurled, devotees will not be deterred. We are not scared. Pilgrims will definitely come for darshan. I want to tell the nation that there is no need to be afraid. The large number of pilgrims is a befitting reply to them.”
Sunita, a teenage pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh, said they had planned to be part of the first batch and today it became a reality.
“We are happy to get darshan of Bholenath in the first batch. We are not scared because we know the security would be adequate. The arrangements are very good — food, accommodation, sanitation, and all facilities,” she said.
Another devotee, Ramesh Chander, who has been travelling to Amarnath for the past nine years, praised the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and the administration for making the best possible arrangements.
“These are the best arrangements. We pray that everybody gets darshan in peace. There is nothing to fear. The Army and other security forces are here to guard the yatra.”
The pilgrimage began from Jammu as a convoy ferried devotees to the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal amid heavy security escort, traffic restrictions, and area domination along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said.
Traffic restrictions will be imposed on various routes from July 2 to August 9, and daily advisories will be issued to minimise inconvenience, a traffic officer said, adding that cut-off timings have been fixed for each sector on the highway, which is monitored through CCTV surveillance.
Apart from the over 3.30 lakh yatris registered for this year’s yatra, on-the-spot registration of devotees arriving for the pilgrimage has also started in Jammu, they said.
Jammu has come under a security blanket with enhanced measures, including a multi-layered security grid and the use of technology for surveillance.
Soon after the flagging off, J-K BJP President Sat Sharma said that thousands of devotees have come for the darshan of Baba Amarnath.
“The atmosphere created two months ago by the terror incident (in Pahalgam) has been replaced by religious fervour and divinity. People have faith that they are in safe hands in Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma said.
The DIG of Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range, Shridhar Patil, said that no drones or any other flying objects will be permitted along the yatra route without prior permission from the concerned deputy commissioner.
“All aerial activities in the area are prohibited to maintain tight security. Anyone violating this rule will face strict action,” he warned.
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