Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, June 27: Amidst the drum beats, blowing of coonch shells and chanting of Bum Bum Bholay, the first batch of 1160 pilgrims left for holy cave of Swami Amarnath Ji from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas under tight security arrangements early this morning in cavalcade of 42 vehicles.
The yatra was flagged off by Minister of Tourism, G A Mir in presence of Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Shantmanu, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Ajit Kumar Sahu, IG Jammu Rajesh Kumar, Director Tourism, Sujaniya Sharma, DIG Jammu- Kathua Range, Shakeel Beig, SSP Jammu and other senior civil and Police officers. Reports reaching here said that all the pilgrims had reached Manigam in Ganderbal district where from they will leave for holy cave tomorrow morning.
The first vehicle left for holy cave after performance of traditional Pooja and Aarti of Bholay Nath by Priests and a group of Sadhus which was followed by breaking of coconut as a sign of good omen by the Minister.
As the first vehicle left the Yatri Niwas for holy cave, Bum Bum Bholay chanted by hundreds of pilgrims rented the air. The Yatris were dancing and singing Bhajans in praise of Lord Shiva. They were in cheerful and happy mood.
The authorities have made fool proof arrangements for the Yatris in Bhagwati Nagar base camp and no body was allowed to enter the camp premises without proper frisking and checking to avert any untoward incident.
The Yatri Niwas is being guarded by CRPF and jawans of J&K Police round the clock and for tight security measures the sniffer dogs have also been pressed into services.
About 300 companies of security forces including CRPF personnel and J&K Police have been deployed for the security of this year’s yatra. The 45 day -long yatra starting today will culminate on August 10 -Sawan Purnima which also coincides with Raksha Bhandan.
Talking to media persons, later, G A Mir said the yatra from traditional Chandanwari track was deferred for three days due to snowy track. He said the Governor who is also the Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) will review the situation after three days and will take a decision about the start of yatra from that track.
He said in previous years the snow by this time from the track was cleared but due to inclement weather conditions this year, coupled with fresh snow fall few days back, the track could not be cleared well in time. He said the youth can go via Chandanwari track but there is a sizable number of pilgrims who are above 60 and they can’t trek from this track which is covered by heavy snow.
He said elaborate arrangements for pilgrims have been made by the Board and the three tier security arrangements are also in place right from Lakhanpur -the gate way of J&K upto holy cave of Swami Amarnath situated in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag at an altitude of 14,000 feet.
Mir said the situation has also turned normal in Kashmir now as compared to previous years and besides yatris, lakhs of tourists are visiting the Valley. He also announced that the Government will take elaborate measures for boosting pilgrimage tourism in the State and said there should be no apprehension about yatris security as situation is totally normal in Kashmir valley.
DIG Shakeel Beig said that the authorities have made fool proof security arrangements for pilgrims this year and besides the J&K Police, the CRPF has also been deployed for security of pilgrims right form Lakhanpur to holy cave.
However, no local political leader including that of BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena, VHP etc was available during the flagging of the yatra. Taking serious exception to it the yatris said that as a good will gesture and for the sake of courtesy the local leaders were supposed to be present during the flagging of ceremony of Amarnath yatra which they failed to do.
This is for the first time that there are no proper arrangements for the pilgrims in base camp here as except one free langer inside the camp, no other langer has been installed till date though yatris have reached the base camp two days back, said Sham Sharma a pilgrim from Varanasi, UP.
The authorities which were earlier installing the sheds for private langers have till date failed to install the same and it was only after a delegation of people running free langers for pilgrims called on Divisional Commissioner Shantmanu that work started on them today, said Bimal Gupta a social activist.
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