Amarnath Yatra Resumes; 7,908 Pilgrims Depart

GG News Bureau
Jammu, 18th July: A fresh batch of 7,908 pilgrims departed from Jammu for Kashmir today, a day after the Amarnath Yatra was temporarily suspended due to inclement weather. Officials confirmed that over 2.52 lakh devotees have already performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra since its commencement on July 3.

“Another batch of 7,908 yatris left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in two escorted convoys for the Valley today,” officials stated. The first convoy, consisting of 92 vehicles carrying 2,879 yatris, departed at 3:30 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. A second escorted convoy of 169 vehicles, transporting 5,029 yatris, left at 4:25 a.m. for the Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.

The ‘Bhumi Pujan’ of ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) was performed at Pahalgam on July 10. The sacred mace, led by its sole custodian Mahant Swami Deependra Giri, was brought from its seat at the Dashnami Akhara Building in Srinagar to Pahalgam for the ritual at the Gauri Shankar temple before being returned to Srinagar. The Chhari Mubarak will begin its final journey towards the holy cave shrine from the Dashnami Akhara temple in Srinagar on August 4 and is scheduled to reach the cave shrine on August 9, marking the official conclusion of the Yatra.

Heightened Security and Pilgrim Routes
Authorities have implemented extensive multi-tier security arrangements for this year’s Amarnath Yatra. These heightened measures come in the wake of a “cowardly attack” on April 22, in which Pakistan-backed terrorists killed 26 civilians in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam after segregating them based on faith. An additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to reinforce the existing strength of the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB, and local police.

The 38-day Yatra, which began on July 3, will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Pilgrims approach the holy cave shrine, situated 3,888 meters above sea level in the Kashmir Himalayas, via either the traditional 46 km Pahalgam route (taking four days via Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni) or the shorter 14 km Baltal route (allowing for same-day darshan and return).

For security reasons, helicopter services are not available to Yatris this year. The cave shrine is revered for its naturally forming ice stalagmite structure, believed by devotees to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva, which waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon.