Amarnath Yatra to begin on July 3; devotees throng Jammu base camp

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 1 (ANI): The annual Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3, with a large number of devotees arriving at the Tawi riverfront where the on spot registration for the yatra is taking place. Adequate security and logistical arrangements have been put in place by the Amarnath Shrine Board to facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims.

Those pilgrims who have not registered online or through Banks earlier for the Yatra have reached today for on spot/Current registration
While waiting for their turn, devotees expressed enthusiasm as they prepared to take the journey to the holy cave shrine.
A devotee, undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time, said, "We are going for the very first time, and we are overjoyed. We are determined to make this journey. Having waited in line for a long time, our only goal is to have darshan. Right now, we have no wish other than to reach Baba's abode. I have wanted to go for years, and today I finally got the chance."
Another devotee, Chandrashekhar Changani from Bikaner, praised the Amarnath Shrine Board for their seamless security and logistics management.
"I want to say that the arrangements here are excellent. We set out from Bikaner. Furthermore, the arrangements made by the Amarnath Shrine Board regarding both security and logistics are spot-on. We haven't faced any major issues," Changani told ANI.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have intensified their preparations, conducting anti-terror mock drills and deploying a multi-layered security grid across the yatra routes.
In Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with paramilitary forces, conducted an anti-terror mock drill on Tuesday at the newly constructed Yatri Nivas, Shri Prem Garg Bhawan, located at the Pathan Chowk Base Camp.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave shrine, situated at an altitude of around 3,880 metres in the Himalayas of south Kashmir, is one of the country's most significant religious pilgrimages.
Devotees undertake the yatra to pay obeisance to the naturally formed ice Shivling, which symbolises Lord Shiva.
The 57-day pilgrimage this year will commence simultaneously from the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district on July 3.
The yatra will conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan. (ANI)