Amarnath Yatra begins; Nunwan base camp wears festive look

Anantnag, Jul 3: Amid tight security and spiritual fervour, the annual Amarnath Yatra began Thursday from the traditional Pahalgam route in south Kashmir, with the first batch of yatris embarking on the 48-km trek to the 13,700-feet-high Amarnath Cave shrine.

Raising ‘Bum Bum Bhole’ slogans, hundreds of yatris including men, women, and Sadhus, set out early from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam in Anantnag district towards Chandanwari, the first stop on the route, located 17 km from the town.

The shrine houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite believed to symbolise lord Shiva.

While many yatris trekked on foot from Chandanwari, others travelled on horseback along the steep and rugged terrain.

Senior civil and Police officials, including Yatra Nodal Officer Rahul Yadav, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anantnag Syeed Fakhrudin Hamid, and SSP Amritpal Singh, flagged off the first batches amid chants and cheers.

BJP J&K President Ravinder Raina also accompanied the initial group of yatris.

Ashwini, a first-time yatri from Bhopal, praised the arrangements.

“I feel blessed to be here. The base camp stay was smooth, and the facilities were excellent. I have always wanted to be part of this sacred journey,” she said.

Amit, a yatri from Madhya Pradesh, said he has been undertaking the yatra since 2019.

“Every year, I come back with more devotion. The excitement is unmatched. I can’t wait to have darshan of Baba Barfani,” he said.

Another yatri, Navnitan from Jaipur, urged others to undertake the yatra.

“The atmosphere here is divine. Everyone should experience this once in a lifetime,” he said.

Rashmita from Odisha said she was unable to complete the yatra last year due to health reasons.

“This year, I’m determined to reach the cave shrine. It’s been my dream for a long time,” she said.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of 5892 yatris from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Wednesday.

The yatris arrived in Kashmir later that day to a warm welcome from locals and officials.

The yatra will continue through August 19, with thousands expected to visit the shrine via both the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

The yatris will pay obeisance at the cave shrine, where the naturally formed ice-lingam is located.

Authorities have implemented stringent security measures to ensure the smooth conduct of the yatra. Thousands of personnel from the Police, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and other paramilitary forces have been deployed.

Aerial surveillance is also being carried out.

The 38-day yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 9.