Pilgrims reach Jammu for Amarnath Yatra; L-G Manoj Sinha flags off first batch of Yatris
Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), June 29: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, the twin base camps in Kashmir will welcome the start of the 43-day pilgrimage to the cave shrine, which will end on August 11 in time for Raksha Bandhan.
After a two-year hiatus, pilgrims reached Jammu late Tuesday night ahead of the Amarnath Yatra commencing on June 30, after a gap of two years.
"We were waiting for two years to offer prayers to Baba Bholenath. We are very happy to see it happen," a pilgrim said.
The pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine, a 3,880-meter-high cave temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the higher Himalayas, is conducted via the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal.
After consulting with Amarnathji Shrine Board members, the Jammu and Kashmir government decided to suspend the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in 2020 and 2021 because of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
The langar committees are preparing to serve Amarnath Yatra pilgrims in Udhampur and Baltal with just one day remaining till the journey.
The Ramban district administration in Jammu and Kashmir has made all essential preparations for the convenience of the Amarnath Yatries during their Yatra (pilgrimage), which begins on Wednesday from Jammu and goes 66 kilometres to Banihal.
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In addition, the DRDO hostel has been prepared for the pilgrims. "DRDO hostel is ready in both the base camps for Amarnath Yatris. We have made arrangements for the pilgrims to stay. Langar, medical, communication and sanitation facilities for the pilgrims have been done here," stated Nitishwar Kumar, CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
Additional District Commissioner, Ramban, Harbans Lal who is also the Nodal Officer for Amarnath Yatra in Ramban district said that 1,005 toilets excluding mobile toilets have been arranged for the pilgrims along the NH44 as well as in the shelter sheds.
He further stated that a specially designated water supply has been made for the pilgrims. CCTV cameras have been installed for the security of 'Yatris' (tourists).
In order to ensure safe pilgrimage despite increased terror threats, security has been intensified in Jammu and Kashmir, with a focus on the usage of more than 130 sniffer dogs on the vehicle routes leading to the shrine.
With the 43-day annual pilgrimage starting on June 30, a top government official said that this is the first time that security personnel have used the maximum number of sniffer dogs to monitor the use of explosives by terrorists.
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-PTC News
