Jammu & Kashmir: Amarnath Yatra to begin on Thursday after a 3-year gap

Srinagar:  The 43-day Amarnath Yatra to the holy cave shrine located in south Kashmir Himalayas is all set to begin on Thursday after a gap of three years.
All arrangements have been put in place by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) to ensure a smooth pilgrimage to the naturally formed ice-lingam at the cave shrine, officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday morning flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from the Jammu base camp.
The first batch of 4,890 pilgrims left around 4 am from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Kashmir Valley in a cavalcade of 176 light and heavy vehicles, the officials said.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration is also augmenting the efforts of the shrine board by providing foolproof security cover along both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes to the holy cave, a senior official said.
The board has also made a provision for online ‘darshan’ for those who cannot physically undertake the pilgrimage.