The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas started on July 1 and will continue till August 31.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday conveyed his greetings to the pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra and said the administration has made all possible arrangements for the convenience of the devotees. “Shri Amarnath ji’s pilgrimage is a symbol of unbreakable tradition and beliefs of ‘Sanatan’ culture.
“The administration has made all possible arrangements for the convenience of all devotees going to visit Baba Barfani. Your pleasant journey is our priority. Best wishes to all the devotees on their journey. Jai Baba Barfani,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
On Friday morning, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual pilgrimage from the Bhagwati Nagar camp in Jammu. This batch set out from their base camp in Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Saturday morning for the cave shrine. The home minister has monitored all arrangements for the annual pilgrimage.
Last month, he reviewed security arrangements with all stakeholders for the pilgrimage and directed necessary action for it. Following Shah’s directive, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla also undertook a detailed review of the security arrangements.
Over three lakh pilgrims have so far registered themselves for the yatra. The pilgrims have the choice of reaching the shrine either through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district or the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route.
With focus on quick response in case of a natural calamity, quadcopters and night-vision devices are being used for surveillance on both routes of the Amarnath Yatra, said Commander 1 sector RR Amandeep Malhi at a presser at Pahalgam, the base camp. The yatra began from the twin routes of Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Pahalgam in Anantnag district in south.
Along with the Army, Central forces and J&K police have been deployed at the higher altitudes on the route. Soldiers have been directed to ensure the locals do not face any inconvenience due to the yatra.
Mountain and avalanche rescue teams are ready to meet any eventuality, and quick and effective response teams will ensure fast evacuation in case of any natural calamity, he said. “This year, the Army along with NDMA, NDRF and SRDRF conducted joint drills to ensure timely response in case of any natural calamity,” he said.
A multi-level security grid is in place to conduct the yatra without any issues at the Baltal base camp, the shortest route to the Amarnath cave, said 3 Sector Rashtriya Rifles commander Brigadier Atul Rajput.
