Chants of “Bam Bam Bhole” and “Jai Barfani Baba ki” rented the air as hundreds of eager pilgrims, unperturbed by the impending terror threat, arrived at Bhagwati Nagar base camp here under strict security on Tuesday to embark on a journey to the shrine of the cave in south Kashmir Himalayas on Wednesday. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed arrangements for Amarnath Yatra by visiting the base camp here and said security forces are on high alert to ensure a smooth pilgrimage. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed arrangements for Amarnath Yatra by visiting the base camp here and said security forces are on high alert to ensure a smooth voyage.
The devotees said their unshakable faith in Lord Shiva and the security forces had encouraged them to participate in the annual Amarnath Yatra being organized this year after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic. Officials said the first batch of pilgrims will leave the Jammu base camp on Wednesday. Officials said that multi-layered security had been established in and around the base camp, residence centers, and registration and token centers amid the deployment of more than 5,000 security personnel in the city of Jammu. “Na china nabhaiy, Baba Amarnath ji kee jai (neither worry nor fear, as Baba Amarnath Ji with us),” said Vinay Kumar, who was part of a 12-member group from Lucknow, who arrived here for his onward journey to the cave sanctuary of Amarnath in the first batch on Wednesday.
Kumar praised the authorities for the “best possible arrangements”, Kumar said: “We have full confidence in Lord Shiva and our security forces”. The group members have completed their registration and have been given tokens from Vaishnavi Dham near the train station for their journey to the cave shrine in the first batch. “Facilities are very good, and the registration process is also smooth. We are very happy with the agreements,” Kumar said. A resident of Bengal, Upmita, who is here with seven other family members, expressed their fears dissipated quickly after they reached the base camp.
Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is pulling out all the stops to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage, scheduled to begin June 30 from Kashmir to the sanctuary of the sacred cave containing the naturally formed ice lingam in Kashmir’s southern Himalayas. The first batch of pilgrims, including sadhus, will leave for Kashmir’s dual base camps one day before the official start of the yatra, which traditionally ends on August 11 on the day of the ‘Raksha Bandhan festival. More than 3,000 pilgrims have arrived in Jammu and have been housed in the base camp and various accommodation centers, officials said, adding that about 400 ‘sadhus’ have also arrived at the Ram Mandir camp before the yatra.
The yatra will start on June 30 from two routes – the traditional 48km Nunwan in Pahalgam in southern Kashmir and the 14km shorter Baltal in Ganderbal in central Kashmir. The atmosphere in and around the base camp, lodging centers, registration,n, and token counters was optimistic on Tuesday. “We have regularly paid tributes to the cave shrine for the past 15 years. This year again, I go in search of peace and prosperity for humanity,” said Kartikeswar Ram, who is from South India. “Fraternity and communal harmony must be maintained at all costs to make this earth a better place to live in. This yatra is known for communal harmony,” he said.
On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha reviewed arrangements for Amarnath Yatra by visiting the base camp here and said security forces are on high alert to ensure a smooth pilgrimage. Sinha also said that the people of the Union Territory are eager to welcome the visiting pilgrims. A senior police officer said the pilgrims need not worry and people are welcome to join the pilgrimage. “We are fully prepared for the task. We will ensure the safety of the pilgrims,” he said. Officials said about three lakh pilgrims have registered for the annual Amarnath Yatra so far.
The government this year introduced a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system that allows pilgrims to track their movements along the way to ensure their well-being. “Adequate security has been put in place for the base camps and residences in Jammu. Security is a big challenge,” said Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandan Kohli. He said as many as 5,000 security personnel had been deployed in the city of Jammu as part of the multi-layered security scheme for the Amarnath Yatra.
He said security measures have also been taken around five registration centers, three token centers,s and 32 guest houses. He pointed to major challenges and said there are new security threats from sticky bombs, hybrid terrorists,s and IEDs dropped by drones. The SSP said the security draft had been prepared for convoys of Amarnath vehicles and area domination measures along the road through which yatra convoys will pass. Quick Response Teams (QRTs) have also been set up, he said. From July 1 to August 1, 2019, more than 3.42 lakh pilgrims paid tribute to the shrine, which housed the naturally formed ice shiv lingam, before the government canceled the yatra halfway through the repeal of Article 370 and the split of J&K into two areas of the Union (on August 5 ,2019).
