Poonam Nath

Faith & Security Unite: First Batch Of Pilgrims Embarks on Amarnath Yatra

Digital Desk: With the dawn on July 2, a wave of devotion swept from Lakhanpur to Bhagwati Nagar base camp as Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of this year's Amarnath Yatra.

The 38-day journey to the 3,880-metre-high shrine will begin on July 3 from the Valley via two tracks: the classic 48-kilometer Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-kilometre but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra ends on August 9.

The world's attention is focused on the Amarnath Yatra, and no threat may discourage the spirit of pilgrims, Sinha stated on Tuesday.

According to officials, devotees will be taken to the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal via the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which will be heavily guarded, with traffic restrictions in place.

Traffic limits will be placed on several roads from July 2 to August 9, with daily advisories issued to reduce inconvenience.  Cut-off times have been set for each sector of the roadway, which is monitored via CCTVs.

As the yatra gains momentum, thousands more are expected to join this luminous journey to the heart of devotion.