In Pics | Amarnath Yatra begins, first batch of devotees leave for the Holy Cave

The pilgrims will travel 12 kilometres from the Baltal base camp in the Ganderbal district to the cave shrine, which is located at a height of about 13,000 feet. Apart from the Baltal route, Pahalgam, located in the Anantnag district, is another route for the pilgrimage. 

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The yatra was flagged off from the Baltal base camp by Deputy Commissioner, Ganderbal, Shyambir, and other officials and police. The officials said the yatra would not have been possible without the support of locals. 

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About 6,000 devotees arrived at the base camp, said Deputy Commissioner Shyambir, as quoted by PTI. He also said that rescue teams and volunteers were posted on the route to assist the pilgrims if needed.

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The first batch of yatris from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, for the alternate route, was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha. According to a PTI report, the batch consisted of 3,488 pilgrims.

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Yatra on both the routes will continue for 62 days. The Baltal route is shorter and steeper than the traditional Pahalgam route. This year, more than three lakhs pilgrims have registered for the yatra. 

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The security along both routes has been strengthened and security personnel have been deployed to oversee the pilgrimage. The officials have also set up new security pickets, says a PTI report.

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The second batch from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp left for the yatra on Saturday with over 4,400 pilgrims. According to a PTI report, the pilgrims left for the Amarnath shrine in about 188 vehicles from the base, making a total of 7,904 from the Jammu base camp. The pilgrimage will come to an end on August 31.

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