Annual Amarnath Yatra begins as first batches of pilgrims leave base camps
Srinagar, July 3 (PTI) The annual Amarnath Yatra began on Friday as the first batches of pilgrims left the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan to start their journey to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas that houses a naturally formed ice lingam, officials said.
The yatra started early morning from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route — even as it rained intermittently, the officials said.
The batches of pilgrims, including men, women and sadhus, left from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, and Baltal base camp in Sonamarg area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal, at the first light of the day, they said.
The chants of ‘bum bum bole’ filled the air as the batches were flagged off by the respective deputy commissioners and SSPs from the base camps, they added.
On Thursday, the first batch of over 4,809 pilgrims was flagged off from the yatra base camp in Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The pilgrims reached the Kashmir Valley in the afternoon and received a rousing welcome from the administration and locals.
They will pay obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses the naturally formed ice lingam formation.
Stringent security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the yatra.
Thousands of security personnel from the police, Central Reserve Police Force, and other paramilitary forces have been deployed to ensure security. Aerial surveillance will also be carried out.
The 57-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 28.
