First batch of 2,280 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath yatra

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 28

Religious fervour marked the beginning of the annual Amarnath yatra in the wee hours of Wednesday as the first batch of 2,280 pilgrims, comprising 422 women, left the Jammu base camp for Kashmir Valley amid tight security.

Escorted by the CRPF, army and J&K police personnel, a cavalcade of 72 vehicles--46 buses and 26 light motor vehicles--was flagged off from Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar, the base camp of Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu, by Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh at 5.15 am.

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The base camp reverberated with chants of ‘Bham Bham Bhole’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ with pilgrims from different parts of the country converging there for their onward journey to South Kashmir Himalayas nestling the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva.

The pilgrims are expected to reach Pahalgam and Baltal, the base camps of the yatra in Kashmir, by Wednesday and would leave for the centuries-old cave shrine of Lord Shiva, situated at a height of 12,756 ft and perform ‘darshan’ of the ‘ice lingam’ on June 29.

The Amarnath pilgrims undertake yatra via the traditional and arduous 46-km-long trek of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and the shorter route of 14 km from Baltal (near Sonmarg) along the Srinagar-Leh axis.

“In the first batch, as many as 1,582 pilgrims were registered for Pahalgam, while the number of pilgrims undertaking pilgrimage via Baltal route was 698,” a police official said.

An ecstatic pilgrim from Bhopal said, “It is a great privilege for me to leave for the yatra in the first batch. This is for the seventh time I am undertaking this pilgrimage. We are least concerned about the threat perception to the yatra. I would rather like to convey that the threats from stone-pelters and terrorists encourage us and boost our morale for undertaking this pilgrimage.”

Intelligence inputs have suggested an ‘enhanced terror threat’ to the Amarnath yatra with terrorists and stone-pelters in Kashmir planning to target the yatra.

“We want to convey to the pilgrims intending to undertake the yatra that J&K guarantees foolproof security arrangements for them. There are some elements bent on disturbing the pilgrimage but we are committed to having a safe and secure pilgrimage for the pilgrims,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

AV Chauhan, Inspector General, CRPF, said they were using technology to keep a tight vigil on the movement of anti-social elements.

“We are using the latest technology to a keep tight vigil. Security is being monitored with the help of drones and satellites. Though there is no specific input for the yatra, we have made arrangements to ensure safety of pilgrims. We are working in close coordination with the Army, local police and other agencies,” he said.