Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday performed the ‘Pratham Puja’ at the Amarnath cave shrine, marking the ceremonial start of the annual pilgrimage scheduled to begin on July 3.
An official spokesperson said the Lieutenant Governor sought divine blessings and prayed for peace, prosperity, health and well-being for all.
Extending a heartfelt invitation to devotees across the country, Sinha urged them to participate in the pilgrimage in large numbers and experience the spiritual journey.
“As the yatra commences on July 3, the administration, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, Army, police, security forces, local community, service providers and volunteers are working in complete synergy. Every stakeholder is devoted to ensuring a safe, hassle-free and memorable pilgrimage for all devotees. With significantly upgraded infrastructure, enhanced facilities and the invaluable support of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we are fully prepared to welcome devotees for a spiritually fulfilling journey,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board organises the ‘Pratham Puja’ every year at the holy cave shrine on Jyeshtha Purnima. This year’s 57-day pilgrimage will commence simultaneously from the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims will leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2, while the pilgrimage will conclude on August 28 on Raksha Bandhan.
Officials said more than 3.75 lakh pilgrims have already registered for this year’s pilgrimage.
DGP Nalin Prabhat, Special DG (Coordination) SJM Gillani, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor and Shrine Board CEO Dr Mandeep K Bhandari and other senior officials were present during the ceremony.
Meanwhile, a full-scale dry run of the Amarnath Yatra convoy was conducted along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to assess security, logistics and coordination among various agencies ahead of the pilgrimage.
Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar and Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti flagged off the convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at 5 am and travelled in one of the buses to review the arrangements firsthand. The convoy reached Ramban within four hours amid suspension of civilian traffic on the highway.
Officials said the exercise evaluated convoy movement, security measures, logistics, emergency response mechanisms and inter-agency coordination to ensure smooth conduct of the Yatra. Security forces have also intensified area domination patrols, search operations and deployments at the base camps and along the pilgrimage route.
