J&K LG Flags Off First Batch of Amarnath Yatra From Jammu Amid Multi-Tier Security

The 38-day pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine will be via the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, ending August 9.

- AJAY JANDYAL

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of over 5,880 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu, marking the formal start of this year's pilgrimage under a multi-tier security arrangement.

The 38-day yatra to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine will commence on July 3 via two routes — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

Officials said the first convoy comprised 5,892 pilgrims, including 1,115 women, 31 children, and 16 transgenders, who departed from Jammu around 4:30 a.m. for the base camps in the Kashmir valley.

The pilgrimage will conclude on August 9. Over 3.31 lakh devotees have already registered for this year's yatra, while on-the-spot registration in Jammu is also underway.