Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 2

More than 12,000 yatris reached Kashmir on Thursday ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, as authorities enforced extensive security measures for the 57-day yatra beginning on Friday.

The first convoy, flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from Jammu earlier in the day, crossed the Navyug Tunnel and entered the Valley around midday before proceeding to the base camps at Nunwan in Pahalgam and Baltal in Ganderbal district.

Thousands of other yatris also arrived by air and rail from different parts of the country.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi said over 12,000 yatris had reached the Valley and that more than 4000 would begin their trek to the Amarnath Cave shrine early on Friday.

“All arrangements, including security, are in place. There won’t be any inconvenience to the yatris,” Birdi told reporters.

Officials said around 2500 yatris would take the traditional Pahalgam route while the remainder would travel via the shorter Baltal route.

The yatra, dedicated to lord Shiva, concludes on August 28.

Authorities have suspended helicopter services for the second consecutive year, with both yatra routes designated as no-fly zones for security reasons.

The annual yatra is being conducted under one of the largest security deployments in Jammu and Kashmir, involving about 700 companies of Central Armed Police Forces alongside the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Security measures include drone surveillance, facial-recognition-enabled CCTV cameras, anti-drone systems, electronic monitoring, RFID tracking for yatris and vehicles, and enhanced screening along the routes.

Officials said infrastructure, accommodation, medical facilities, and community kitchens had also been upgraded to facilitate the movement of devotees while maintaining strict security.