Page 3 - Amarnath Pilgrims

Amarnath Yatra temporarily suspended after rain lashes parts of Kashmir

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Friday due to bad weather as rain lashed many parts of Kashmir, officials said. The yatra was suspended along both the Baltal and the Pahalgam routes, they said. "The yatra has been suspended and no pilgrim is being allowed to move towards the holy cave shrine this morning," the officials said. Heavy showers, which started early on Friday, forced the temporary suspension of the pilgrimage, they added. The pilgrims have been stopped at the Baltal and the Nunwan base camps. The yatra will resume once the weather improves, the officials said. On Thursday, 17,202 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, taking the cumulative total of devotees who have had 'darshan' of the natural ice lingam formation in the south Kashmir Himalayas to 84,768 so far.

4th batch of 4,758 pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine, say officials

A fresh batch of 4,758 pilgrims left the base camp here on Monday for the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. Over 20,000 pilgrims have paid their obeisance at the 3,880-metre high cave shrine till early Monday. The fourth batch of pilgrims left in two back-to-back convoys and were escorted by eight security vehicles and an ambulance between 3.40 am and 4.10 am, the officials said. While 3,030 pilgrims took the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, 1,728 pilgrims took the shorter but steep 14-km Baltal route, they said. With this, a total of 17,565 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 30 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu, Mukesh Singh on Sunday visited Ramban district along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and took stock of security at the transit camp in Banihal and en route the shrine, a police spokesman said. During the security review,

Third batch of 4,903 pilgrims leave for Kashmir to join Amarnath Yatra

A fresh batch of 4,903 pilgrims left the base camp here on Sunday to join the annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. With this, a total of 12,807 pilgrims have so far undertaken the pilgrimage since June 30 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Over 8,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine on the first day of the 62-day yatra which commenced from both the twin tracks - the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steep 14-km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district on Saturday. The officials said 2,557 devotees, including 379 women and 226 sadhus, left in 104 vehicles for Pahalgam, while 2,346 pilgrims left in a convoy of 131 vehicles for the Baltal base camp early today. More than 3.5 lakh people have registered themselves online for the pilgrimage so far.

Rescue teams of J-K Police conduct mock drills on Amarnath yatra routes

The government is also working closely with various departments to ensure proper arrangements for lodging, power, water, security, and waste management

J&K L-G Sinha flags off first batch of Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu camp

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar camp here on Friday. Amid multi-layer security, the first batch of more than 3,400 pilgrims left for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the 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 Saturday on the twin tracks of the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

J&K L-G to flag off first batch of Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu camp today

Amid multi-tier security setup, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on June 30, an official said on Thursday. The first batch of pilgrims will leave 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. LG Sinha will flag off the batch of pilgrims early Friday morning The 62-day-long pilgrimage will commence from Kashmir on July 1 from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district. Over 3,500 pilgrims have arrived in Jammu for their onward journey to Amarnath. "The Yatra from Jammu will begin with the first batch of pilgrims being flagged off from Jammu base camp by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tomorrow, an officer told PTI. He said that the Yatra will formally commence from the tw

On-the-spot registration of pilgrims starts in Jammu for Amarnath Yatra

The city administration on Thursday began the process for on-the-spot registration of devotees arriving here for the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. Over 1,500 pilgrims, including sadhus, have arrived in Jammu city for the yatra to the 3,880-metre shrine starting on July 2. While an on-the-spot registration centre has been set up for unregistered pilgrims in Shalimar area of the city, a special camp for registration of sadhus has been set up at Purani Mandi-based Ram temple complex. Amid tight security arrangements, over 1000 pilgrims have arrived at the Bhagwati-Nagar base camp here for their onward journey to Kashmir, officials said. The 62-day-long pilgrimage will commence on July 1 from the twin tracks the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The registration of un-registered pilgrims arriving here from all parts of the country have begun on-the-spot

300,000 pilgrims have so far registered for Amarnath Yatra: Shrine board

Over three lakh pilgrims have till now registered for the 62-day Amarnath Yatra -- the longest ever, the shrine board said here on Wednesday. The number of registrations so far is 10 per cent more than last year, CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) Mandeep Kumar Bhandari said. The shrine board and the union territory administration are ready to welcome the yatris, he said. The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to start on July 1. The first batch of pilgrims are leaving for the Valley from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar base camp on June 30. The Yatra will commence on July 1 and will last till August 31. This year's pilgrimage will be of 62 days and will be the longest ever so far, Bhandari said. So far, over three lakh pilgrims have registered with the board via different modes of registration, he said. The CEO said yatris up to the age of 70 years can perform the pilgrimage, which can be undertaken fr

Amarnath Yatra 2023 schedule announced: Pilgrimage to commence on July 1

During the Amarnath Yatra of the current year, the schedule is announced by Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of Lord Shiva's sacred mace. For the first time, the Amarnath Yatra will last 62 days

J-K conducts trial run to check security preparedness for Amarnath Yatra

Two days ahead of the start of the annual Amarnath Yatra, a trial run was conducted on Wednesday from Jammu to Banihal for a thorough inspection of security and other arrangements to ensure a safe pilgrimage for the devotees. Leading a convoy of security vehicles, Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh, accompanied by senior officers, conducted the trial run along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Senior civil and police officers in charge of the Jammu division examined all arrangements made by Jammu, Udhampur, and Ramban district administrations for the pilgrimage. "The trial run was conducted by the security establishment from Jammu to Banihal on the highway for a thorough inspection of security and other arrangements", an officer said. The 62-day-long pilgrimage to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas will commence on July 1 and conclude on August 31. Pilgrims will embark on the yatra via two routes -- the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan route, in south

Night-vision devices, snipers in place for Amarnath Yatra preparations

Multi-tiered arrangements, including night domination through night-vision devices, snipers, drone systems and dog squads, will be put in place to ensure foolproof security during the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Monday. According to the Army officials, the road stretches on the twin routes of the pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine are almost clear. This was revealed during the inspection-cum-review of the yatra arrangements by Northern Army commander Lieutenant Upendra Dwivedi, the officials said. The 62-day pilgrimage to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to start on July 1 and continue till August 31. The Amarnath Yatra takes place annually via two routes -- the southern route through Baltal in Ganderbal and the northern route through Pahalgam in Anantnag district. "Army commanders reviewed the ongoing preparations for the Amarnath Yatra that will commence on July 1 for two months," PRO, Defence, Udhampur, Lieutenant Colonel ...

Sadhus from across India reach Jammu for upcoming Amarnath Yatra

Sadhus from across the country have started flocking to the winter capital Jammu to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage which is scheduled to start in the Valley next month. Over 200 Sadhus, including women, have arrived at their traditional Ram Mandir base camp in the old city's Purani Mandi area and are upbeat to offer their prayers at the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivling. The 62-day long pilgrimage will commence on July 1 from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in the Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims, including a group of Sadhus, is leaving for the Yatra from Jammu on June 30. I am performing the Yatra for the first time and waiting eagerly to reach Kashmir, the name of which fills our chest with pride as Kashmir to Kanyakumari is India, a 58-year-old sadhu from Andhra Pradesh, Vasudevanand Sarawar

3,000 pitthu wallas register for extension of services at Amarnath Yatra

More than 2,900 people, who transport pilgrims on ponies, pithus and palkis during the Amarnath Yatra, have registered for extension of services ahead of the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine, officials said. The pilgrimage to the shrine located at a height of 3,880 metre in the south Kashmir Himalayas begins on July 1. The Yatra has two routes -- the traditional 48-km route through Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. Reasi Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) said the registration process was on from last week after the department invited the service providers who are residents of Reasi. As many as 125 pony wallas, 1,046 pitthu wallas and 1,733 palki wallas have been registered till date. A total of 2,904 people have been registered, the ALC said. The registration counter for online registration has been set up in the ALC office, the official informed. Interested persons are requested to vi

Modi govt's priority is to ensure security of pilgrims during Yatra: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the Narendra Modi government's priority is to ensure that Amarnath pilgrims have a comfortable visit and directed officials to make adequate security arrangements along the entire pilgrimage route in Jammu and Kashmir. The home minister said this while chairing a high-level meeting where he took stock of the preparations for the Amarnath pilgrimage with top officials of the central government, Army and the Jammu and Kashmir administration. The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, will begin on July 1 and continue till August 31. During the meeting, the home minister said it is the priority of the Narendra Modi government that Amarnath pilgrims should have comfortable "darshan" and should not face any difficulty. He directed officials to make adequate security arrangements on the entire route of Amarnath pilgrimage, according to an official ...

Amit Shah to review preparations, security for Amarnath pilgrimage in J&K

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high level meeting on Friday to take stock of the preparations and security for the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir, sources said. The 62-day-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, will begin on July 1 and continue till August 31. The home minister will review the preparations for the Amarnath pilgrimage with top officials of the central government and Jammu and Kashmir administration, the sources said. Shah will also take stock of the plans being formulated to ensure foolproof secretary for the pilgrimage, they said. According to the Sources, there have been intelligence inputs and the Pakistan-based terror outfits may try to disrupt the pilgrimage for which adequate security forces will be deployed. All stakeholders of the pilgrimage are expected to take part in the meeting and all issues relating to arrangements being made for it

NDRF gears up for Amarnath Yatra with aerial surveys, canine teams

Regular sorties in the upper reaches of the holy Amarnath cave and early deployment of canine teams for disaster rescue acclimatisation are part of the NDRF's safety preparations for the pilgrims of the annual Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Tuesday. A dozen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will be deployed to ensure the safety of the people who embark on the yatra from July 1, they added. To avoid casualties from flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), the NDRF has started identifying locations for creation of pilgrim camps "away from the tracks where flood waters can roll down and sweep people away". At least 16 people were killed after flash floods triggered by heavy rain near the shrine on July 8 last year. To prevent such mishaps this year, helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the J-K administration will regularly undertake aerial sorties in the upper reaches of the holy cave to check for GLOF events and the formation of lakes that

Maintenance works on Amarnath Yatra track to be completed by June 15

The Border Road Organisation (BRO) will complete the maintenance works on the Amarnath Yatra track by June 15, officials said on Friday. The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, will begin on July 1 and continue till August 31. The scope of BRO's work includes snow clearance, widening of the track, restoration of all footbridges, fixing of handrails and construction of break walls, among others, they said. The Yatra track from Baltal to the Holy Cave was earlier maintained by the Public Works Department, Jammu and Kashmir, and the one from Chandanwari to the Holy Cave was maintained by Pahalgam Development Authority, the defence wing of the Press Information Bureau said in a statement. Both these tracks were handed over to the BRO in September last year for maintenance and upgradation, it said. The BRO will complete the restoration works on the Amarnath Yatra track by June 15, well before the Yat

U'khand police asks pilgrims to stagger visit to Char Dham to reduce rush

The rush of pilgrims at the Char Dham temples in Uttarakhand is many times higher than their capacity, Director-General of Police Ashok Kumar said on Wednesday, and appealed to the devotees to stagger their visit as the yatra will continue till November. More than six lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath since it opened on April 25. Badrinath has witnessed over five lakh devotees since its opening on April 27, according to Ajendra Ajay, chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. Kumar told reporters, "The rush of pilgrims at the Char Dham temples at present is many times more than their capacity. It is causing all sorts of inconvenience. Traffic management has become difficult. The trek routes to the temples often get jammed and 'darshan' is not smooth for the pilgrims." He added that many pilgrims believe that the yatra is only for the months of May-June. "I want to tell them it will go on till the second week of November. Visiting the temples after mid-September is th

Work underway to redevelop Amarnath base camp ahead of annual pilgrimage

The main base camp for Amarnath pilgrims here is getting a major facelift with the authorities setting a deadline of June 15 for completion of the works, officials said on Tuesday. The Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu serves as the main base camp for the pilgrims from across the country before they leave for Kashmir to pay obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath. The two-month pilgrimage is scheduled to commence on July 1 from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and 14-kilometre shorter but steeper Baltal route in the Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims is expected to leave the Jammu base camp one day prior to the start of the yatra. "The renovation of the Yatri Niwas is going on smoothly. Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) Ramesh Kumar has instructed the engineers concerned to expedite the pace of renovation and ensure the completion of all works by June 15," an official said. Kumar visi

More than 26,000 pilgrims visit Kedarnath by helicopter in one month

More than 26,000 pilgrims visited Kedarnath by helicopter within a month of the Himalayan temple opening its doors for devotees as part of the annual Char Dham Yatra. Kedarnath opened for pilgrims on April 25. According to a release issued by the Rudraprayag district administration on Wednesday, 26,564 pilgrims reached Kedarnath by air till May 23. Seven helicopter companies are providing air services to the pilgrims from Guptkashi, Phata and Shersi in the district, Nodal Officer for Heli Services Rahul Choubey said. Helicopter services are being provided by Trans Bharat and Aryan from Guptkashi, Pawan Hans, Global Victra and Thambi from Phata and Himalayan and Aero Heli from Shersi, he said. Till Tuesday (May 23), 4.75 lakh devotees have visited Kedarnath since the temple doors opened.