The annual Amarnath pilgrimage began in Kashmir Valley on Thursday morning amid tight security as 6,300 pilgrims began trekking to the holy cave ensconced in mountains of South Kashmir at a height of 12,800 feet above sea level.The yatra began from both treacherous but shorter Baltal route and longest traditional Pahalgam route. It takes around seven hours to reach the cave through Baltal while the traditional route through Pahalgam Valley takes two days for a pilgrim to reach the cave for a glimpse of the ice stalagmite, believed to be the incarnation of lord Shiva.
The pilgrims began their journey on July 1 from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp in Jammu. Three BJP Ministers of the coalition Government — lal Singh, Sukhnandan Kumar and Priya Sethi flagged off the cavalcade of 34 vehicles who were accorded warm welcome at every halt along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. By the evening, the pilgrims reached Nunwan and Baltal base camps.
Quoting pilgrims, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the arrangements were better than in the past. This is for the first time that Amarnath yatra is conducted when the BJP is part of the ruling coalition in J&K. The authorities say that fully-equipped 40-bedded hospital has been established at the Baltal base camp while special arrangements have been made for telecommunication connectivity and weather forecasting.
A spokesman of the Central Reserve Police Force said its personnel have taken over deployment duties in yatri camps, routes and other sensitive places. “The line of deployment of CRPF begins from Qazigund, Mir Bazaar, Anantnag, Khannbal, Sarnal, Nunwan, Pahalgam City, Kheerkadal, Chandanwari, Sheshnag, Poshpatri, Panchtarni and finally finishes at the holy cave. Be it public security, frisking, vehicle checking or providing any other kind of support, CRPF troopers can be extensively witnessed while rendering selfless service to the countrymen,” the spokesman said.