Image

First batch of Amarnath Yatra flags off

by IBNS 01 Jul 2015, 10:42 am

Jammu, July 1 (IBNS): Amid tight security the first batch of 5,000 pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra have flagged off from Jammu on Wednesday early morning.

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh will also be among the first batch of pilgrims to offer prayer at Amarnath. 
 
The Home Minister will visit the holy cave shrine Amarnath where he will offer prayers and conduct a physical review of the steps being taken for the safety of the pilgrims on Thursday.
 
Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu Piyush said that a cavalcade of buses, LMVs and trucks carrying pilgrims and material were flagged off from Bagawati Nagar base-camp in Jammu.
 
The yatra will be escorted by heavy contingent of security forces to twin base-camps of Amarnath cave shrine in Baltal in Ganderbal district of Central Kashmir and Pahalgam belt of South Kashmir.
 
Two base camps - one at Baltal and the other at Nunwan (Pahalgam) -have been set up from where the pilgrims will begin an uphill mountain trek to reach the cave.
 
 
(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)