The annual Amarnath Yatra officially commenced on Thursday, with the first group of pilgrims departing from the Baltal and Nunwan base camps towards the cave shrine. This information was confirmed by officials.

Located at an elevation of 3,880 meters in South Kashmir, the 38-day pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave temple began early in the morning via two routes: the traditional 48-kilometer Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter yet steeper 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

As dawn broke, groups of pilgrims, including men, women, and saints, set off from the Nunwan and Baltal base camps. Officials noted that as senior authorities waved the green flag to the groups, chants of 'Bam Bam Bhole' filled the air.

On Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had flagged off the first batch of 5,892 devotees from the pilgrimage base camp in Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. Upon their arrival in the Kashmir Valley, the pilgrims received a warm welcome from both the administration and local residents.

During their visit, the pilgrims will perform rituals at the Amarnath temple, where a naturally occurring ice Shiva Lingam is formed. To ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage, stringent security measures have been implemented.

Thousands of personnel from the police, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and other paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain safety. The pilgrimage is set to conclude on August 9.