Pilgrims have exceeded expectations during the Amarnath Yatra with more than 300,000 devotees completing the sacred journey within eighteen days. The religious pilgrimage began July 3 and will conclude August 9 after thirty-eight days of operation. Officials anticipate surpassing the projected 350,000 participant estimate given current attendance rates. Another 3,791 worshippers departed Sunday morning for Kashmir Valley base camps through two separate convoys.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inspected Baltal base camp arrangements and shared meals with visiting pilgrims. Security forces have strengthened protection measures following the April terrorist attack that claimed twenty-six lives. The government deployed additional paramilitary companies and over 8,000 specialized military commandos for pilgrim safety. Devotees trek either the traditional forty-six kilometer Pahalgam route or the shorter fourteen kilometer Baltal path to reach the cave shrine. Helicopter transportation remains suspended this year due to security concerns affecting the high-altitude pilgrimage site.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inspected Baltal base camp arrangements and shared meals with visiting pilgrims. Security forces have strengthened protection measures following the April terrorist attack that claimed twenty-six lives. The government deployed additional paramilitary companies and over 8,000 specialized military commandos for pilgrim safety. Devotees trek either the traditional forty-six kilometer Pahalgam route or the shorter fourteen kilometer Baltal path to reach the cave shrine. Helicopter transportation remains suspended this year due to security concerns affecting the high-altitude pilgrimage site.
