The annual Amarnath yatra in the Kashmir Valley started on Friday morning as secheduled earlier amid tight security despite inclement weather along both northern and southern routes leading to the shrine.
"About 7,000 pilgrims were allowed from the Nunwan base camp (in Pahalgam) to proceed towards the holy cave while an equal number of people left the Baltal base camp (in Ganderbal) for the shrine today (Friday), marking the beginning of this year's annual yatra," official sources here said.
This year 600,000 pilgrims have registered themselves for the yatra to the holy Amarnath cave as the authorities had already made it clear that no unregistered person would be allowed for the journey that passes through some of the most perfidious mountainous routes in Kashmir Himalayas.
"Four thousand unregistered yatris were turned back by us from Manigam transit camp this (Friday) morning," said Shahid Mehraj, Ganderbal's superintendent of police.
Authority has provided a three-tier ring security manned by the army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police spread around the two base camps along with three transit camps. Moreover, heavy security force arrangement has also been made along the highways, which are used by the pilgrims to reach the transit and the base camps.
According to some media reports quoting the army and some intelligence agencies have warned that the separatist guerrillas may attack the pilgrims during the journey.
Though Chief Minister Omar Abdullah denied any such report quoting them
"alarmist", the forces have been asked to leave no chances with the security
arrangements and safety of the pilgrims.
Dedicated to the Hindu god Lord Shiva, the Amarnath cave is dedicated to Hindu
god Lord Shiva and is located 13,000 feet above the sea level. The distance from
north Kashmir's Baltal base camp to the holy cave is approximately 14 km and the
pilgrims return after 'Darshan' the same day.
However, the traditional one-way south Kashmir route from Nunwan base camp to the cave is 45 km, which passes through three halting stations namely Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni halting stations and takes three days.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) responsible for managing the affairs of the nearly two-month long pilgrimage, will visit the base camps of Baltal and Nunwan to take stock of the arrangements, an SASB official said.
-With inputs from IANS
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