Amarnath Yatra: Valley Resounds with Chants of ‘Bam Bam Bhole’; First Batch of Pilgrims Flagged Off by LG Manoj Sinha

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of the Amarnath Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. Amidst chants of “Bam Bam Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev,” the first group departed for the Kashmir Valley.

Manoj Sinha, who also serves as the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, visited the Bhagwati Nagar base camp to meet the pilgrims and wish them a safe journey. The devotees expressed satisfaction with the arrangements and showed great enthusiasm for the pilgrimage. Stringent security measures have been put in place for the Yatra this year; 670 companies of central security forces have been deployed to monitor both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.

A day prior, LG Manoj Sinha had visited the Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar to meticulously review all preparations related to the pilgrimage. He inspected facilities for pilgrim accommodation, security arrangements, health services, help desks, sanitation, power and water supplies, and emergency services to ensure that no pilgrim faced any inconvenience.

He instructed officials to further augment the staff strength to effectively manage the large influx of pilgrims. Additionally, directives were issued to ensure continuous announcements at Bhagwati Nagar and the Tawi Riverfront so that pilgrims receive all necessary information in a timely manner.

It is worth noting that the Amarnath Yatra will span 57 days this year. It will commence on July 3 via both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes and conclude on August 28. Several senior officials from the civil administration, police, and security forces were present on the occasion, including DGP Nalin Prabhat, Special DG S.J.M. Gillani, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, IGP Jammu Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP CRPF Amol Homkar, IGP Traffic M. Suleman Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner Jammu Dr. Rakesh Minhas, and Municipal Commissioner Jammu Dr. Devansh Yadav.