Over 12K Devotees Had Darshan Of Shiv Ling At Amarnath Cave-Shrine

SRINAGAR: Vedic hymns reverberated in Kashmir hills as Amarnath yatra officially began on Thursday with over twelve thousand devotees paying their respects and having darshan of fully formed natural Shivling or ice-lingam of Lord Shiva at Amarnath cave-shrine.

The first day of the annual pilgrimage to the revered place of Hindu worship tucked away in the Kashmir Himalayas at a height of 12, 729 feet (3,888 metres) was marked with Prathan Pooja or the first prayer beside several feet -high naturally formed Shivling at the Sanctum-Sanctorum.

A report said that the Shivling has been reduced considerably during the past two weeks, the thaw which is being attributed to severe heat weather being experienced in the Kashmir Valley for some time. The officials neither confirmed nor denied it.

Media persons have been authorised to cover the pilgrimage only upto the basecamps of Baltal and Pahalgam and told that none of them would be allowed to travel with the yatra cavalcade in the guise of a pilgrim. "Misrepresenting your identity shall be viewed seriously and action as warranted shall be taken against the defaulting/delinquent individuals," an official advisory issued to the media persons reads.

Officials here said that a total of 12,348 pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave-shrine on Thursday. They included 9,181 males, 2,223 females and 99 children besides 122 sadhus, seven sadhvis and eight transgenders, they added. Officials sources said that 708 security personnel also visited the cave-shrine on the first day of the yatra.

Earlier at dawn on Thursday, the first batch of pilgrims was ceremoniously flagged off from the Domail, Baltal in Ganderbal district by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri. While speaking to reporters, he said, “This Yatra is not just a religious pilgrimage. From security forces to pitthus, tents to service providers — everyone is contributing to its success. The enthusiasm among the devotees is unparalleled. I pray everyone’s wishes are fulfilled and peace prevails across Kashmir and the country.”

Another batch of devotees including saffron clad hermits called Sadhus took the arduous journey through rugged mountains both from the Pahalgam basecamp earlier.

Among those who reached Amarnath through the shorter Baltal route was Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje. Before embarking on the sacred journey, she told reporters at Baltal, “Today, we are all going to have the darshan of Bholenath. It feels wonderful. May God bless us all”. She added, “The atmosphere here is very pleasant, and people are feeling good because development work is also taking place here.”

The first officially escorted convoys of a few hundred cars and buses carrying 5,880 pilgrims had reached Baltal and Pahalgam from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp on Wednesday evening. Already, thousands of pilgrims were camping at Baltal in Ganderbal district and Nunwan, Chandanwari and other places in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district to embark on the 'journey of faith and devotion'.

The officials of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) which manages the affairs of the annual event had expected more than half a million pilgrims to visit the cave-shrine during the 38-day yatra to be concluded on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. However, the April 22 Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists, significantly impacted this year’s yatra as the gory incident led to a 10.19 percent drop in pilgrim registrations compared to 2024, with cancellations spiking due to fear.

Yet, the SASB officials said that robust security measures, including a three-tier setup, facial recognition systems, and increased personnel, have helped restore confidence, with their noting a gradual uptick in registrations. They claimed that, in spite of alarms, over 3.31 lakh pilgrims had registered by July 2 evening, bolstered by the government’s implementing extraordinary measures to ensure a peaceful and secure yatra, particularly in response to heightened security concerns following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The officials noted with delight the turnout of over twelve thousand devotees at the Amarnath Cave on the first day of the yatra and said that it was unexpected. This high number strained initial arrangements, but the robust security and logistical measures, including Operation Shiva, RFID tracking, and multi-layered surveillance, ensured the pilgrimage proceeded smoothly despite the unexpectedly large crowd, said an official. He added that the SASB and J&K administration quickly adapted, leveraging enhanced facilities like medical camps and crowd management protocols to handle the surge effectively.

Meanwhile, the second batch comprising 5,246 pilgrims which had left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Thursday morning has reached the basecamps in the Valley. This batch included 4,074 males, 795 females, 19 children, 324 sadhus, 33 sadhvis, and one transgender pilgrim. The officials said that 1,993 pilgrims have arrived at Baltal and remaining 3,253 at Nunwan (Pahalgam).

The J&K government has provided a fleet of 268 vehicles — including 106 buses, 38 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), and 124 light motor vehicles (LMVs) — for the transportation of the pilgrim to the basecamps of Baltal and Pahalgam from Jammu and back.