Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is set to flag off the first group of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu tomorrow, July 2nd, marking the beginning of the annual pilgrimage. The 38-day yatra to the 3,880-meter-high shrine will officially commence on July 3rd from the Kashmir Valley and conclude on August 9th.
Pilgrimage Routes and Registrations
Pilgrims will embark on their journey via two routes:
- The traditional 48-kilometer Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
- The shorter, but steeper, 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
So far, over 331,000 devotees have registered for this year’s pilgrimage. On-the-spot registration is also underway in Jammu, with nearly 4,000 tokens distributed in the past two days.
Security and Logistics
The first batch of pilgrims will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. They will be transported to the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps under heavy security escort, with strict traffic restrictions and area domination along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
Traffic advisories will be issued daily from July 2nd to August 9th to minimize inconvenience, and cut-off timings for each sector on the highway will be monitored via CCTVs.
Over 3,500 pilgrims have already arrived at the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas, which serves as the primary base camp for devotees before they proceed to the Amarnath cave shrine.
Official Oversight
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also chairs the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), has reviewed the security and other arrangements for the yatra. Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo also visited the Jammu base camp, confirming that all necessary arrangements are in place for a peaceful pilgrimage.
Enhanced Security Measures
Jammu is currently under a multi-layer security blanket, incorporating advanced technology for surveillance. The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Security Wing is managing the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, while the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is handling security in the surrounding areas.
