Journey To Divinity: Thousands Embark On Spiritual Amarnath Yatra

Jammu (India), 1st July 2023: On Saturday, the Jammu and Kashmir administration initiated the departure of the first group of pilgrims from the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal to the Amarnath cave shrine. Simultaneously, under strict security measures, a second batch of over 4,400 pilgrims began their journey to the Amarnath cave shrine from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. Departing in a convoy of 188 vehicles on Saturday morning, the pilgrims embarked on the pilgrimage to the 3,888-meter-high shrine.

According to officials quoted in a PTI report, the total number of pilgrims who set off for the Amarnath cave shrine from the Jammu base camp is 7,904. The first batch of pilgrims departed from Jammu on Friday, with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagging off the convoy from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp.

The annual Amarnath Yatra, spanning 62 days, will commence from Kashmir on July 1st through two routes: the 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district. The Yatra occurs within the Shravan month of the Hindu calendar, as it is the exclusive time when the caves become open to the public. The pilgrimage will continue until August 31st this year.

To ensure the safety of the pilgrims, a comprehensive security arrangement has been established in and around the Bhagwati Nagar base camp. Additionally, 33 accommodation centres have been established across Jammu, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags have been provided to the pilgrims. Five registration counters have been set up to facilitate the pilgrim registration process, and as of now, approximately 3.5 lakh individuals have registered online for the Yatra this year.