The much-awaited Amarnath Yatra 2025 has commenced on Thursday with the first batch of devotees setting off from the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan towards the 3,880 metre high cave shrine in South Kashmir, officials said.
The Yatra began on early Thursday morning with Pilgrims trekking the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route.
The batches consisting of Sadhus, women, and men left the base camps in Pahalgam and Sonamarg, the officials said.
On Wednesday, the first batch of 5,892 Yatris was flagged off from the Yatra base camp in Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
The pilgrims who reached the Kashmir Valley, received rousing welcome from the Administration and locals alike, marking the first such instance after the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack.
The devotees will pay obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses the naturally formed ice-lingam formation.
Meanwhile, stringent measures of security have been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of this year's Yatra.
The multi-pronged security apparatus includes the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the lead role, with assistance from the Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and other paramilitary forces that have been deployed to ensure security. Aerial surveillance will also be carried out.
Meanwhile, the second batch of pilgrims has left the Jammu base camp in a cavalcade of 168 vehicles escorted by security police and central paramilitary forces, they said.
A total of 11,138 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp, with some already trekking the heights to reach the cave shrine, the official added.
The second batch of pilgrims consists of 4,074 men, 786 women, and 19 children. The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9 on the eve of Raksha Bandhan.
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