Amarnath Yatra kicks off with ‘Pratham Puja’ in J&K

THE ‘Pratham Puja’ on Saturday marked the beginning of this year's Amarnath Yatra to Jammu and Kashmir. The ‘Pratham Puja’ of Baba Amarnath was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha virtually joined the ceremony from Raj Bhawan in Srinagar.

After virtually attending ‘Pratham Puja’, held in Amarnath, J&K Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his dedication and support for the sacred journey. Devotees can visit Amarnath and offer prayers to Baba Barfani from 29 June.

“From June 29th, devotees across the country can get the darshan of 'Baba Amarnath'...all the necessary facilities have made been done for the devotees coming. Security arrangements have also been made,” LG Manoj Sinha told ANI.

Ahead of the official beginning of the pilgrimage, security forces have beefed up arrangements on the route and the pilgrim site for the safety of devotees. The police are reviewing the arrangements made for Amarnath Yatra to ensure a smooth, secure, and successful pilgrimage for the devotees, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of Jammu Anand Jain on Friday.

He added that the police are also reviewing the implementation of the cut-off timings during the Amarnath Yatra to ensure the smooth flow of pilgrims from and to Jammu and Kashmir.

Amarnath Yatra to officially commence on June 29

Shri Amarnath Yatra holds immense significance among Hindu devotees who join the annual pilgrimage to offer prayers at Baba Barfani. This year, the pilgrimage begins on June 29 and concludes on August 19.

The Amarnath Yatra involves a challenging trek to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. Hundreds of thousands of devotees each year visit the temple to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.

During a recent briefing session with police officers, Anand Jain laid emphasis on ensuring the necessary facilities for the pilgrims, including medical aid. He also ordered the officers to ensure a secure, smooth and successful pilgrimage for the devotees.

Last year, more than 4.5 lakh devotees took the holy darshan. Amid frequent terror attacks in the region, security of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims will remain prime concerns for the security officials.