Jammu, Jul 2 : The annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on Thursday with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagging off the first batch of pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas here under tight security arrangements.
Officials said 4,822 pilgrims left for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in a convoy of 259 vehicles.
Of the total, 2,510 pilgrims are travelling via the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, while 2,312 have opted for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The first batch comprises 3,707 men, 816 women, 16 children, 246 sadhus and 37 sadhvis, officials said.
The convoy consists of 106 buses, 39 medium motor vehicles, 111 light motor vehicles and three two-wheelers. The Baltal-bound convoy departed at around 6.10 am, followed by the Pahalgam-bound convoy at 6.35 am, they said.
The Lieutenant Governor, while flagging off the yatra, wished the pilgrims a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey. He said elaborate arrangements had been put in place to facilitate the pilgrimage, including security, healthcare, sanitation, accommodation and other essential services.
The pilgrims are expected to reach the Kashmir Valley later in the day before proceeding to the Baltal and Nunwan base camps, from where they will begin their trek to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine housing the naturally formed ice Shivling.
The 38-day pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 9, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Authorities have deployed a multi-layered security grid and stepped up surveillance along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the two yatra routes to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage.
