The annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on Saturday as the first group of pilgrims departed from the base camps in Baltal and Nunwan, beginning their journey to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrimage started early morning via the 48-km traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route. Officials reported that the batches of pilgrims were flagged off by respective deputy commissioners along with senior police and civil administration officials.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had flagged off the initial batch of 4,603 pilgrims from the Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, on Friday morning. The pilgrims reached the Kashmir Valley in the afternoon, where they were warmly welcomed by the administration and locals. These pilgrims will pay obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses the naturally formed ice-lingam.
Extensive security measures have been implemented to ensure the smooth conduct of the yatra. Thousands of security personnel from the police, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and other paramilitary forces have been deployed for foolproof security, supplemented by aerial surveillance. The 52-day pilgrimage is set to conclude on August 19.
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