Amarnath Yatra 2023: J&K Flags Off 1st Batch Of Pilgrims From Baltal To The Holy Amarnath Cave

J&K administration on Saturday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for Amarnath Yatra 2023 from Baltal to the holy cave.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from Baltal to Amarnath Cave for Amarnath Yatra 2023 on Saturday. Shyambir who is the Deputy Commissioner of the Ganderbal flagged off the first batch and wished everyone a safe journey. He urged the pilgrims to take advantage of all the facilities available to them. The first batch of devotees undertook a pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

The 62-day-long pilgrimage has commenced from Kashmir today from the twin tracks  — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the shorter but steep 14-km-long Baltal route in the Ganderbal district.

Shyambir while talking to news agency ANI said, "Today we are sending off the first batch of passengers from here. I wish everyone a happy journey. Passengers are requested to take advantage of all the facilities available to them. Right now there are around 7000 to 8000 passengers. Registration is still going on. Our volunteers are everywhere to help."

Devotees while departing from Baltal were seen chanting religious slogans. 

Over 3,500 pilgrims have arrived in Jammu for their onward journey to Amarnath and a multi-tier security setup has been activated in and around the Bhagwati Nagar base camp. A convoy carrying pilgrims, which will leave Jammu for Kashmir, will be fully guarded by CRPF troops with area domination being done by Army and police.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday night visited the yatri niwas base camp here and reviewed arrangements put in place for the pilgrims, an official spokesperson said.

A second batch of more than 4,400 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp on Saturday in a secured convoy on a pilgrimage to the 3,888-meter-high Amarnath cave shrine.

The pilgrims left the base camp in the morning in a cavalcade of 188 vehicles. With this, the number of pilgrims who left for the Amarnath cave shrine from the Jammu base camp climbs to 7,904, officials said, as reported by news agency PTI.