To mark the auspicious beginning of the 43-day long celebration of this year's Amarnath Yatra, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today performed the Puja of Baba Barfani and prayed for peace, happiness, and prosperity for all.
"I have full faith that the devotees traveling from all over the country to seek the divine blessings of Shri Amarnathji will have a safe and memorable pilgrimage", the Lieutenant Governor said.
Expecting a heavy footfall of Yatris, the UT government and SASB have made extensive arrangements for Shri Amarnathji Yatra this year.
The devotees can have 'Darshan' of the Holy Ice Lingam at the holy cave shrine through a live telecast of the morning and evening Arti through Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's website link or through Shrine Board's Android-based Application.
Besides the Board members of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Nitishwar Kumar, CEO of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, and Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Aujla, GOC 15 Corps also participated in the Puja.
Earlier LG flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from Jammu on Wednesday
The 43-day-long Amarnath Yatra began on Thursday after two years of COVID pandemic with the first batch of pilgrims leaving the traditional Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam and the shortest route Baltal camp towards the cave shrine for Darshan in the Himalayas.
With the blessings of Baba Amarnath Ji, the Yatra will be successful and peaceful as well, Lieutenant Governor Sinha told media persons. He said that pilgrims have come from across the country and he has a firm belief that every pilgrim will go back happy after performing Darshan at Amarnath Cave and hoped everyone's prayers are accepted.
Sinha also said that he prayed for the development, peace, and prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir, and the entire country.
The second batch of pilgrims leaves from Jammu
On Thursday, the second batch of 5,770 pilgrims left from Jammu for the Valley. According to officials, 1,670 of the 5,770 pilgrims who left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Yatra were headed for the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir, and 4,100 were headed for the Pahalgam base camp.
150 vehicles are carrying Yatris headed for Pahalgam and 81 vehicles are carrying Yatris headed for Baltal. The Yatra commenced on Thursday from the traditional 48-km Nunwan route in south Kashmir's Pahalgam and the 14-km Baltal route in central Kashmir's Ganderbal.
Over 3.42 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine from July 1 to August 1, 2019, before the government cancelled the pilgrimage midway ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.
