Jammu, July 1 (PTI) - Hundreds of pilgrims have converged in Jammu as the administration kick-started on-the-spot registration for the revered Amarnath yatra, which is set to begin formally from Kashmir on July 3. The 38-day pilgrimage will start from the traditional 48-kilometer Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the more challenging 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district on the same day.
Sub Divisional Magistrate Manu Hansa said that on-the-spot registration is underway for devotees arriving from various parts of the country. Upon arrival, devotees are first issued tokens. Shalimar in Jammu city hosts the registration centre for unregistered pilgrims, while a special camp at the Ram temple complex in Purani Mandi is dedicated to registering sadhus.
The registration is conducted at three centres: Vaishnavi Dham, Panchayat Bhawan, and Mahajan Sabha. Tokens can only be obtained from Saraswati Dham, which opened at 7 am this morning. Over 300 sadhus have already reached the Ram temple, their designated base camp, where arrangements for their stay have been made.
Meanwhile, heightened security measures are in place with over 1,600 pilgrims arriving at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for their onward journey to Kashmir the next day. Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar reported that extensive boarding and lodging services have been arranged for over 50,000 people across 106 lodgement centres stretching from Lakhanpur to Banihal. The yatra will officially set off from Jammu on July 2, flagged by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha amid tight security.
Pilgrims, such as Santokh Singh from Punjab, expressed joy over their successful registration. Singh is making his ninth trip to the cave shrine and anticipates being among the first to have darshan of the ice lingam. Similarly, Uma Shakla from Uttarakhand, traveling in the same batch, expressed her happiness at joining the yatra. The sadhus arriving in Jammu have recently completed their Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand and are eager to continue their spiritual journey to Amarnath. One sadhu, visiting for the 21st time, shared his anticipation of witnessing the Baba Barfani ji once again.
For enhanced security this year, 180 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed, 30 more than previous years, informed a senior police officer. Each company comprises around 100 personnel. Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, assured that the security arrangements are robust and reiterated the administration's commitment to ensuring a successful pilgrimage.
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