Amarnath Yatra 2024 begins today, 1st batch of pilgrims leave for holy cave
This year, the 52-day pilgrimage will culminate on August 19. The annual pilgrimage to Amarnath shrine began on Saturday when the first group of pilgrims left Baltal Base Camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district to view the holy cave. Amid the thumping of conch shells and chants of "Bum Bum Bole", "Jai Ba Ba Lufani" and "Har Har Mahadev", the first group of pilgrims left the base camp for the holy shrine located 12,756 feet above sea level. The first group of 4,603 pilgrims reached the Kashmir Valley on Friday amid tight security. Comprehensive arrangements including three-tier security, area management, meticulous route planning and checkpoints have been made to ensure a smooth yatra. Reports say that over 350,000 people have registered for this year's yatra. With the help of over 6,000 volunteers, 125 community kitchens (langars) have been set up along the two routes to the cave sanctuary.
Held annually amid tight security and vigilance, the Amarnath Yatra runs on two routes: the traditional 48 km-long Nunwan Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but tougher 14 km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Amarnath Yatra 2024: J-K LG Manoj Sinha gives the signal to start for the first group of pilgrims. The Amarnath Yatra attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. They visit the site during the Shravani Mela (Hindu month of Shravani) in July or August. Due to geographical conditions, this is the only time of the year when Amarnath Caves are accessible.
The holy cave of Amarnath is located in the Ladhar Valley, 141 km from the capital Srinagar, at an altitude of 12,756 feet above sea level and is covered by glaciers and snow-capped mountains for most of the year.
This year, the 52-day pilgrimage will culminate on August 19. Online registration for the 52-day yatra began on April 15 on the Shri Amarnath Temple Board (SASB) website and portal.
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June 29, 2024 at 08:23AM
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