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Amit Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, June 30
Amid tight security, the first batch of Amarnath yatris is all set to leave for the pilgrimage from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bagwati Nagar in Jammu tomorrow.
With the chanting of “Vedic mantras” and “Bam Bam Bhole”, the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims will leave the base camp in Jammu for the holy cave of Shri Amarnath shrine early in the morning on Friday.
Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh will flag off the annual Amarnatha yatra from Jammu along with some of his Cabinet colleagues, senior police officials and bureaucrats.
Hundreds of disciples of Lord Shiva on Thursday reached the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar, where all the arrangements were made for their comfortable stay.
Some free langars (community kitchens) have also been set up by different social and religious organisations. Hundreds of sadhus are also getting themselves registered for the yatra.
Sushma Chauhan, Director, Tourism, Jammu, said, “All the arrangements have been made for the comfortable stay at the base camp and journey for the holy cave for pilgrims.”
“The Deputy CM will flag off the first batch from the Yatri Niwas base camp at 4:30 tomorrow morning,” she added.
As many as 15,000 pilgrims, who have registered themselves for the yatra, will be allowed to go on trek in the first batch from both the base camps in Kashmir on Saturday.
Tight security arrangements have been made for a safe yatra. The J&K Police along with Armed Wing, Security Wing, CRPF and other agencies have been deployed in Jammu as well as en route to the Amarnath shrine.
Pilgrims welcomed at Lakhanpur
Kathua: The first batch of Amarnath pilgrims was received at Lakhanpur — the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir — in Kathua district amid religious rituals and chanting of “Bham Bham Bhole” slogans on Thursday morning. Minister for Forest and Environment Choudhary Lal Singh welcomed the first batch. During the formal welcome ceremony organised at Lakhanpur, Lal Singh garlanded the pilgrims amid religious rituals. He also exhorted the pilgrims to act as messengers of peace and spread message of harmony across the country. Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Bharat Bushan, who is also Yatra Nodal Officer at Kathua, said a batch of around 800-900 pilgrims arrived at Kathua in a convoy of a dozen vehicles, including buses, jeeps and cars. — OC
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