Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here amid a multi-tier security cover for their onward journey to the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir.
The 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine is scheduled to begin on July 3 simultaneously via the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 28.
Sinha performed a special puja at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp before flagging off the convoy of pilgrims, officials said.
He was accompanied by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, local BJP legislators, senior civil and police officials, and representatives of various religious organisations.
Amid chants of “Bam Bam Bhole”, “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Barfani Baba Ki”, over 5000 pilgrims left in a convoy of escorted vehicles for the twin base camps under elaborate security arrangements.
“Har Har Mahadev! The sacred journey to the holy abode of Baba Barfani begins! Flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp. Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is a profound spiritual awakening,” Sinha posted on X after the ceremony.
He said every step taken on the sacred route reflected unwavering faith and devotion to Lord Shiva and wished the pilgrims a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey.
Pilgrims expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made by the administration and security agencies.
Suresh Kumar from Surat, undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time, praised the facilities and assistance provided by the administration and the Army.
Baba Goga Nath of Junagarh Akhara described the journey as a blessing and lauded the arrangements made for seers and devotees.
Another seer, Sukham Dass, who arrived with 20 sadhus from Kashi and has been undertaking the pilgrimage for the past 32 years, said facilities for the elderly and specially abled pilgrims have significantly improved.
Vaibhav, a pilgrim from Uttarakhand, said he was happy to be part of the first batch and expressed confidence in the security arrangements.
Rajni Devi from Jaipur, who has been undertaking the pilgrimage for the past nine years, also praised the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and the administration for the arrangements, saying there was no reason to fear as the security forces were safeguarding the yatra.
Officials said the convoy was escorted under heavy security, while traffic restrictions and area domination measures were enforced along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims.
Traffic restrictions will remain in force on various stretches of the highway from July 2 to August 28, with daily advisories and sector-wise cut-off timings to regulate traffic, a traffic official said.
More than 3.90 lakh devotees have registered for this year’s pilgrimage, while on-the-spot registration has also commenced in Jammu.
The Jammu region has been placed under an extensive security grid with multi-layered deployment and technology-based surveillance.
BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma termed the Amarnath Yatra one of the country’s most significant pilgrimages and expressed confidence that it would conclude smoothly.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma also greeted the pilgrims and said the arrangements made by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board would ensure a comfortable journey.
Meanwhile, The first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra received a warm welcome as they reached the Kashmir valley on Thursday, officials said.
The batch of 4,822 pilgrims was flagged off earlier in the day by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu.
As the convoy entered the Valley through the Navyug Tunnel in Qazigund area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district under tight multi-tier security cover, they received a rousing welcome, officials said.
Police and civil administration officials, including the IG CRPF (Inspector General in Central Reserve Police Force) and DIG South Kashmir Range Javid Iqbal Matoo, greeted the pilgrims with garlands, flower bouquets and petals.
The convoys later proceeded separately towards the Baltal and Pahalgam base camps, from where pilgrims will begin the onward journey early Friday to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.
The 57-day pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28. Devotees can take either the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag or the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
