SRINAGAR, July 7: Sarika could not hold back her emotions when she boarded a bus in Jammu to reach Pahalgam for the Amarnath Yatra. Unfazed by the terror attack, she chanted `Bum Bum Bhole’ and embarked on a spiritual journey that she had been waiting for years.
“It is a dream come true for us. There are 21 people in the group. It is the first time that we are embarking on this journey. We are very excited,” she said.
Sarika is not an isolated case. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are hitting the traditional Pahalgam route to perform the darshan of the holy Shiv Lingam. “It has been something I have been waiting for years. I want to pray for my family, friends, and well-wishers,” said another pilgrim.
The Amarnath cave is accessible from two routes in the Kashmir Valley. The 46-km Pahalgam trek is an ancient route covered in five days. The new 14-kilometer Baltal-Holy cave route is now preferred by the pilgrims since the journey can be completed in a day.
Extraordinary security arrangements have been made for Yatra this year. Post-Pahalgam attack, security forces are on high alert to ensure an incident-free yatra. Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, led by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has been working overtime to make the Yatra comfortable. LG Sinha has been personally monitoring the arrangements on a real-time basis to ensure a smooth pilgrimage.
A key safety feature introduced this year is the mandatory RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking for all pilgrims. This is used for real-time monitoring of pilgrims’ movement. This also helps the authorities to help people during exigencies or medical emergencies. Authorities have also installed facial recognition systems (FRS) along the Pahalgam route to detect and flag potential threats in real-time.
Official figures reveal that so far 93,341 pilgrims have performed darshan at the holy cave. This is a cumulative figure of pilgrims who took both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.
“Arrangements are fantastic. Food, shelter, and everything are perfect. Security forces men are helping yatries who need help,” said a pilgrim.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today visited Nunwan Base camp at Pahalgam and reviewed the arrangements in place for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra.
The Lieutenant Governor interacted with the pilgrims, service providers, langar sevadars, and sanitation workers, and took stock of the facilities for the devotees. He commended the significant contribution of all stakeholders in the smooth and successful conduct of the holy pilgrimage.
During his visit, the Lieutenant Governor chaired a meeting with the administrative and security officials and discussed measures taken for the safe and hassle-free journey of the devotees of Baba Barfani. He also reviewed the queue management at the camp.