Under strict security measures, the first group of pilgrims for the yearly Amarnath Yatra arrived in the Kashmir valley today, June 28. Senior police and civil administration officials, along with the local populace, received the 4,603 pilgrims at the Navyug tunnel in the Qazigund area of the Kulgam district of south Kashmir, after they arrived in Srinagar.
The 52-day pilgrimage will start on Saturday, June 29, at the twin tracks—the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal and the 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag—and end on August 19.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu early on Friday morning, to cheers of “Bum Bum Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev”.
In a cavalcade of 231 light and heavy trucks, they arrived in Srinagar. Reporters were informed by Kulgam Deputy Commissioner (DC) Athar Aamir Khan that the administration, representatives of civil society, trade fraternity, fruit producers, and market associations had greeted the pilgrims who will travel via both the axis, Baltal and Pahalgam, upon their arrival.
“We welcome all of them. There are proper arrangements in place for them,” Khan told the media.
The pilgrim convoys, according to the officials, departed in various directions for the base camps in Pahalgam and Baltal. From there, they would travel early on Saturday to the sacred cave shrine, which is 3,880-meters high.
According to a senior official speaking to the media, extensive preparations have been made to guarantee a trouble-free yatra. These include checkpoints, area dominance, sophisticated route deployment, and three-tier security.
Over 3.50 lakh people have reportedly enrolled for the yatra this year. With the help of more than 6,000 volunteers, up to 125 community kitchens, or langars, have been established along the two paths leading to the cave shrine.
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Amarnath Yatra 2024: First batch of pilgrims reach Kashmir amid heavy security
