Baltal (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 3 (ANI): As a fresh batch of pilgrims set off on Thursday for the holy cave of Shri Amarnath Baba, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri stated that the Yatra was not just a religious one, but one of the people.

He further stated that security forces, porters, tent service providers and others had been involved in the Yatra.

'This Yatra is not just a religious Yatra. It is a Yatra of the people. Security forces, 'pitthus', tent every service provider is involved in it... The enthusiasm among the devotees is unparalleled. I pray that everyone's wishes are fulfilled and there is peace and happiness in Kashmir and the rest of the country...' Bidhuri told ANI.

Earlier, devotees chanted 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bam Bam Bhole' as they began their journey.

One pilgrim at the Baltal base camp, who is visiting the Amarnath shrine for the 14th time, praised the arrangements. 'I am from Sangrur, Punjab. This is the 14th time I have come for the Amarnath Yatra. There is no need to rush. The arrangements made by the government are excellent,' he told ANI.

A pilgrim from Bengal, who was part of the first group departing from the Pahalgam base camp, also expressed satisfaction. 'We are very happy. We have no fear. Our government is very good... Our Army is also very good. We have no reason to be afraid,' he said.

Another devotee from the same batch added, 'The facilities are very good... Everything belongs to Bhole Baba. We possess nothing... The arrangements are excellent.'

Kavita Saini, a pilgrim making her first trip to Amarnath, also shared her experience. 'This is my first time for the Amarnath Yatra. The experience is very good. We got our medical certificate and registration from here. Everyone was very helpful. The Delhi Police and Kashmir Police were all very helpful to us... I will pray that there is peace and happiness in our country and that whatever happened recently does not happen again.'

The 38-day pilgrimage which has started today will end on August 9. It will follow two routes, the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first group of pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2.

Security across the Jammu region has been stepped up significantly in the wake of the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam. Over 50,000 personnel from the CRPF, Army, and Police have been deployed. CCTV cameras, drones, jammers, and facial recognition systems are being used to monitor the route.

Arrangements have also been made for medical teams, air ambulances, and emergency evacuation, to ensure the safety of all pilgrims. (ANI)