Amarnath Yatra 2024 Begins Today, 1st Batch of 4.6k Pilgrims Leave for Holy Cave Amid Tight Security

New Delhi: The first batch of pilgrims left the Baltal base camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district for the darshan of the holy Amarnath cave as the annual pilgrimage to Amarnath shrine commenced on Saturday. The first batch with 4,603 pilgrims reached the Kashmir valley on Friday amid heightened security arrangements. 

The holy shrine is located at an altitude of 12,756 feet above sea level. The pilgrims left the base camp amid chants of “Bum Bum Bhole”, “Jai Baba Burfani”, and “Har Har Mahadev” and blowing of conch shells. 

52-Day-long Annual Pilgrimage

The 52-day-long annual pilgrimage that began today will conclude on August 19. The online registrations for the yatra commenced on April 15 on Shri Amarnath Shrine Board's (SASB) website and portal. 

According to reports, more than 3.50 lakh devotees have registered for the yatra this year. The administration has set up comprehensive arrangements, including three-tier security, area dominations, elaborate route deployment and checkpoints, to ensure a smooth pilgrimage.

125 Community Kitchens Set Up  

As many as 125 community kitchens (langars) staffed by over 6,000 volunteers will serve the pilgrims along the two routes to the cave shrine.
The annual Amarnath Yatra commences on twin tracks – one is the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the second route is 14-km-long shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district. 

The holy pilgrimage witnesses lakhs of pilgrims every year who visit the site during the 'Shravani Mela in July-August (Shravan month in Hindu calendar).

The annual pilgrimage to Baba Barfani temple holds profound significance for Hindus who wait for months to become a part of the Amarnath Yatra as the holy cave is accessible only for a limited time in a year, due to its geographical conditions.

Located 141 km from the capital Srinagar, the holy cave of Amarnath lies in the Ladar Valley, which is covered by glaciers, and snow-capped mountains for most of the year. The annual yatra is a major concern of the government amid recent terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.