Over 4,800 pilgrims in a convoy of 259 vehicles heading for the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir were flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Wednesday amid religious chants.
Sinha performed a special puja at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp before flagging off the first batch of pilgrims. The cavalcade, comprising buses and private vehicles, was escorted by a heavy security contingent as it traversed the mountainous stretches of the Jammu division en route to Kashmir.
The L-G was accompanied 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 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine will formally begin on July 3 simultaneously via the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 28.
“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.
The UT administration, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, J&K Police, the Army, other security forces, the local community and all stakeholders have made extensive arrangements for devotees arriving from across the country and abroad.
While 2,510 pilgrims left for the Pahalgam route in 112 vehicles, 2,312 pilgrims proceeded towards the Baltal axis in 147 vehicles. Officials instructed pilgrims to board their allotted vehicles before the convoy departed.
Officials said the convoy was escorted under a multi-tier security cover, while traffic restrictions and area domination measures were enforced along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims. Traffic restrictions will remain in force on various stretches of the highway till August 28, with daily advisories and sector-wise cut-off timings issued to regulate vehicular movement.
More than 3.90 lakh devotees have registered for this year’s pilgrimage, while on-the-spot registration has also commenced in Jammu. The entire Jammu region has been placed under an extensive security grid with multi-layered deployment and technology-based surveillance.
Pilgrims from different parts of the country expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by the administration and security agencies.
Manik Sharma (42), a resident of New Delhi undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time, said while there were concerns about the safety of his family, he decided to proceed, trusting the security forces.
“I was told by many of my friends that the security situation in Kashmir is not stable. But I wanted to come to pay my obeisance at the holy cave shrine," Sharma said.
Many seers were also seen boarding buses at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp after camping in Jammu for several days. Baba Goga Nath of Junagarh Akhara described the pilgrimage as a blessing and lauded the arrangements made for sadhus 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 over the years.
Sunil Chauhan from Rajasthan said he and his family planned to visit tourist destinations in Kashmir after completing the pilgrimage.
“This is my second visit to J&K. I visited nearly 11 years ago but the situation was different then. From what I have seen so far, it appears safer now. But I will be able to judge the difference better once I reach Kashmir," he said.
The pilgrims were greeted by locals and district administrations along the route. As the convoy entered the Valley through the Navyug Tunnel in Qazigund area of Kulgam, locals showered flower petals and welcomed the pilgrims with garlands.
