The annual Amarnath Yatra began onThursday as batch of about 2,750 pilgrims left the base camp for the caveshrine housing the naturally formed ice-lingam in the Himalayas of southKashmir¡¯s Pahalgam town.
The yatra has resumed after a three-yearhiatus due to the abrogation of Article 370 and coronavirus pandemic.
The pilgrimage was flagged off by DeputyCommissioner (DC) Anantnag Piyush Singla at the Nunwan base camp. Thejourney-most of it on foot-takes about three days with night halts at Sheeshnagand Panchtarni along the route.
The J&K Lieutenant Governor ManojSinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annualAmarnath Yatra from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in the Jammucity for their onward journey to the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir.
The 43-day pilgrimage will conclude onAugust 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has askedall devotees to carry an Aadhaar card or a biometric-verified document withthem to ensure only bona fide pilgrims attend the pilgrimage.
Authorities have for the first time issuedRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to pilgrims so that their movementscan be monitored for safety and security purposes.
As per a statement by the Ministry of HomeAffairs: ¡°The Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir said that for the firsttime, every Amarnath Yatri would be given a RFID card and would be insured forRs 5 lakh. A tent city, WiFi hotspots and proper lighting will be arranged onthe yatra¡¯s travel route.¡±
?Devotees must not take their fitnesslevels for granted. Therefore, they must mentally and physically prepare tobrace for cold weather and the rugged landscape.
The pilgrims who have done theirregistrations and are planning to do the same, must do the morning or eveningwalk for nearly 4 to 5 hours daily. This is a necessity to keep oneself fit asone comes at a very high altitude. The holy cave is at 12,700 ft while you dohave to cross 14,000 or 15,000 ft in your way. Also, practice deep breathingexercises as there are oxygen shortages at such high altitudes,¡± ANI quotedPrincipal Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha,Nitishwar Kumar as saying.
Pilgrims must not forget to make achecklist of essential items they would need during the yatra. For instance,pilgrims must carry warm clothes, basic medicines, food and water bottle, anumbrella and a walking stick.
?The Amarnath cave is situated 3,888 metresabove sea level and it can only be reached on foot or by pony. Located in the Himalayas,the cave shrine can be accessed through the Qazigund-Anantnag Pahalgam axis andthe Qazigund-Anantnag-Pulwama-Srinagar-Ganderbal-Sonamarg-Baltal axis.
?There are two routes to reach Amarnath.One is via Sonamarg and another is Pahalgam. Sonamarg one is 16 km trek fromBaltal and takes 1-2 days. While as Pahalgam route, which is approximately36-48 km and takes 3-5 days to cover.
?In addition, the board has made availablethe privilege of online ¡®darshan¡¯ to those who cannot travel to the holy placein person. ¡°For the devotees who cannot come for the pilgrimage, they can availthe facility of online ¡®darshan¡¯, ¡®pooja¡¯, ¡®havan¡¯ and ¡®prasad¡¯,¡± said theofficial.
?A 70-bed DRDO hospital also has been setup at the Baltal base camp for pilgrims.
?Heavy security arrangements have been putin place for a secure and smooth Amarnath Yatra this year. Mountains and hillpeaks leading to the Amarnath cave from Pahalgam and Baltal route are coveredby border security forces and the Indian Army have also set up temporary postsat different locations for the safety and security of devotees visiting theholy cave.
?Also, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and deploymentof over 80,000 security personnel have been put in place for surveillance ofroutes.
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