‘Yatra journey of faith, spiritual awakening’
JAMMU, JULY 02: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of devotees for the pilgrimage to the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Ji, from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp in Jammu, Thursday.
The Lieutenant Governor extended his best wishes to all the yatris embarking on the holy pilgrimage. “Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is a sacred path where devotion meets spiritual awakening. I wish all devotees a safe, comfortable, blissful and spiritually fulfilling journey. May this holy pilgrimage bring immense joy and divine peace to all,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
J&K UT administration, Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, J&K Police, Army, security forces, local community and all the stakeholders have made extensive arrangements for the devotees coming from across the country and abroad.
In the first batch, more than 4800 pilgrims set off for the holy yatra of Shri Amarnath Ji, in a convoy of 259 light and heavy vehicles.
Spiritual leaders; heads of religious organizations; public representatives; senior officers of civil administration, Police, security forces and Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board, prominent citizens, and devotees in large number were present at the Flag-off ceremony.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police, in coordination with the civil administration and security agencies accorded a warm welcome to the first batch of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra pilgrims at multiple locations across Kashmir, assuring devotees of comprehensive security and facilitation arrangements for the annual pilgrimage.
The first batch of pilgrims was received at the Nayug Tunnel in Qazigund by Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir Range, Javed Iqbal Mattoo, Senior Superintendent of Police Kulgam Anayat Ali Chowdhary, and senior officers of the district administration, police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Pilgrims expressed gratitude for the reception and the arrangements made for their journey.
In Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir Minister Satish Sharma, DIG Armed Kashmir Maqsood-ul-Zaman, Deputy Commissioner Jatin Kishore and SSP Ganderbal Sudhanshu Dhama welcomed the yatris and conveyed their best wishes for a safe and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage.
The dignitaries said elaborate security, traffic management and public facilitation measures had been put in place through close coordination among the police, civil administration, CAPFs, Health Department and other stakeholder agencies.
Dedicated Helping Hand teams, assistance booths and round-the-clock deployment of police personnel have been established to provide guidance, emergency assistance and ensure smooth movement of pilgrims.
In Anantnag, SSP Amod Ashok Nagpure welcomed the pilgrims and reiterated that extensive security and public facilitation arrangements had been made for the Yatra. He urged the devotees to follow official advisories, cooperate with security personnel and immediately report any suspicious activity or unattended object to the nearest police official.
Police said a robust security grid comprising the J&K Police, Army, CRPF and other security agencies has been established along the pilgrimage route to ensure the safe, secure and smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026. It also reaffirmed its commitment to providing a seamless pilgrimage experience for devotees visiting the holy cave shrine.
