Srinagar: Two years on, the Amarnath yatra took off in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
Chanting Bam Bam Bole, the first batch of pilgrims was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from the Jammu base camp.
“Flagged off the first batch of pilgrims, as they set off to Shri Amarnath Ji Cave Shrine from Jammu base camp. Prayed for the peace, prosperity, and a safe spiritual journey for pilgrims,” tweeted Sinha.
The first darshan at the cave shine will take place on Thursday. The 43-day-long Amarnath Yatra will culminate on Raksha Bandhan.
Situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters, the holy Amarnath cave is accessible from two routes in Kashmir Valley. The 46-km Pahalgam–Holy cave trek is an ancient pilgrimage route that is covered in five days. There lies the ice lingam of Lord Shiva that is formed naturally and waxes and wanes with the moon. The new 14-kilometer Baltal-Holy cave route is now preferred by the pilgrims since it is shorter though steep, and the journey can be completed in a day.
Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has already issued an advisory asking pilgrims to acclimatize bodies before embarking on the pilgrimage. Around 8 lakh Yatris are expected to visit the Amarnath Yatra this year which is scheduled from June 30. All possible arrangements are being put in place by the administration.
To avoid any inconvenience faced by these yatris, the divisional administration has made extensive arrangements including the smooth flow of transport, free medicare, a confirmation center, etc.
The pilgrims can directly book their helicopter tickets online from Srinagar to Panchtarni. It is for the first time devotees can complete the holy Yatra in a single day. Besides, the administration has also kept 70 health facilities from Jawahar Tunnel to the holy cave on both routes including Chandanwari and Baltal, which include six base hospitals, medical aid centers, emergency aid centers, and 26 oxygen booths.
At Pahalgam and Baltal, fabricated toilets and tents have been built for the convenience of Yatris.
“There have been special arrangements made for the facilitation of Yatra this year than the previous years,” an official said.
People living in Anantnag and Ganderbal have also contributed to the elaborate arrangements for the Yatris to ensure a safe and comfortable stay during Yatra days.
Ali Mohammad, a footpath vendor at Pahalgam is eagerly waiting for the commencement of Yatra. “This year we have good expectations with this Yatra. Yatris are our special guests and deserve better hospitality than other visitors to the valley. We should provide them better hospitality to win their hearts so lakhs of tourists would turn towards the valley,” Ali said.
Bashir Sheikh, a hotelier in Srinagar said, “I got a booking from Yatris who have planned to spend 10 days in the valley.”
