The first batch of Amarnath pilgrims left for Pahalagam and Batla on Friday morning from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims amid tight security. The first batch left for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake a pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The 62-day-long pilgrimage will commence from Kashmir on July 1 from the twin tracks.
Over 3,500 pilgrims have arrived in Jammu for their onward journey to Amarnath and multi-tier security setup has been activated in and around the Bhagwati Nagar base camp and 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.
Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, took stock of food and lodging of the pilgrims besides reviewing security arrangements, functioning of joint control rooms, langer stalls, registration counters, power and water supply, health facilities and sanitation.
He also reviewed the facilities of transportation, deployment of health staff, fire tenders and emergency services.
Sinha also welcomed the pilgrims from across the country who had arrived at the base camp.
The city administration on Thursday began the process for on-the-spot registration of unregistered pilgrims and sadhus arriving here for the pilgrimage.
While an on-the-spot registration centre has been set up for unregistered pilgrims in Shalimar area of the city, a special camp for the registration of sadhus has been set up at Purani Mandi-based Ram temple complex.
The registration of unregistered pilgrims and sadhus arriving here from all parts of the country has begun on the spot at the counter here, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nargesh Singh told PTI.