Amarnath Yatra: First Batch of Pilgrims Leaves Jammu
The first batch of around 1,300 pilgrims has today morning left for the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir from Jammu, said media reports.
According to reports, the first batch has 233 women and 32 children out of 1,272 pilgrims.
State Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora flagged off their pilgrimage, saying, “Adequate security arrangements have been made for the pilgrims.”
Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed all along from Jammu to the cave shrine in Kashmir for the safety of the pilgrims.
The pilgrimage will last till Aug 25. About half-a-million pilgrims are expected to undertake the journey to the cave shrine of Lord Shiva at Amarnath, at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level.
Some of the pilgrims were those who had been undertaking the pilgrimage for years together.
Though they were concerned over the situation in Kashmir where a spate of killings in street protests brought the Valley to a boil, they were determined to carry on with the pilgrimage.
(Based on internet reports)
