JK LG Manoj Sinha flags off Amarnath Yatra pilgrims
The Amarnath Yatra, a major Hindu pilgrimage to the cave shrine in Kashmir, kicks off July 3 and runs till August 9.
Over 3.31 lakh people have already registered—pretty huge numbers this year!
Pilgrims can choose between two scenic routes: the longer Nunwan-Pahalgam trek (48km) or the shorter Baltal route (14km), which commence from the base camps in Kashmir.
Solo travel banned this year
With safety as top priority, authorities are rolling out facial recognition systems, RFID tags to track pilgrims in real time, and plenty of CCTV cameras along both routes.
Solo travel is banned this year—everyone must move in government-supervised convoys.
There's even a no-fly zone over the area during the yatra.
106 shelter centers along the route
To make things easier for travelers, there are now 106 shelter centers offering food and medical care for up to 50,000 people at a time.
Security teams from J&K Police and CRPF will be on duty round-the-clock so everyone can focus on their journey with some peace of mind.