48-day-long Amarnath Yatra begins - will continue till August 18

The 48-day long annual Amarnath yatra has begun and will continue till August 18 through the two routes of Baltal and Pahalgam. There is complete and tight security arrangements for the over 9,000 pilgrims who have set off from base camps in Ganderbal and Anantnag districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 2 July 2016.

Out of 7,500 pilgrims who have assembled at the Baltal base camp (Ganderbal), 4000 had already crossed the Dumail gate to begin the 14-Km long trek to the Cave Shrine. By 10 am, the remaining 3,500 pilgrims had also crossed the gate towards the Cave Shrine. In addition, from Nunwan base camp (in Pahalgam in Anantnag), another 1,600 yatris had crossed Chandanwari towards the Cave Shrine.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh would also visit the Amarnath Cave Shrine to participate in the special puja that heralds the beginning of the annual yatra. They will have `Darshan` of the ice stalagmite inside the cave which is revered as a `Shiva Linga` by the devotees. It is believed that the Shiva Linga grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon and attains its height during the summer festival.
Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has advised the pilgrims to carry sufficient woollen clothes, umbrella, raincoat, and waterproof shoes because the weather in the Yatra area is unpredictable. Pilgrims are also advised to carry their identity cards and Yatra permit, and travel in a group. Prepaid SIM cards from other states would not work in Jammu and Kashmir and the Yatra route. Hence, the pilgrims can purchase pre-activated SIM cards at the base camps of Baltal and Nunwan. The SASB has also advised pilgrims to ensure that pollution and disturbing the environment is not done.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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