1st Batch of Amarnath Yatra Pilgrims from Jammu Flagged Off by J&K LG Manoj Sinha

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of 4,603 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from the Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu on Friday.

The pilgrims left for the twin base camps in north Kashmir’s Baltal and south Kashmir’s Anantnag under tight security.

On Saturday, the 52-day pilgrimage will begin from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal. The Amarnath Yatra will conclude on August 19.

The first batch of pilgrims in a cavalcade of 231 vehicles, were escorted by the CRPF personnel.

From the twin base camps in Kashmir, they take up the trek to to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.

Comprehensive arrangements, including three-tier security, area dominations, elaborate route deployment and checkpoints, have been made to ensure a smooth yatra.

According to reports, more than 3.50 lakh people have registered for this year’s yatra. As many as 125 community kitchens (langars) have been set up along the two routes to the cave shrine with the support of over 6,000 volunteers.