Pilgrims head for Amarnath cave in Kashmir on Day 1 of yatra

Officials are expecting the highest figure of eight lakh pilgrims this year

Enthusiastic about the reopening of the Amarnath cave shrine for the pilgrimage after a gap of three years, hundreds of pilgrims made their way up to the treacherous trails to the cave from the twin routes of Sonamarg and Pahalgam on Day 1 of the yatra on Thursday.

At the first light, hundreds of pilgrims, including sadhus and women, queued up and left the Baltal base camp located at the altitude of 2,743 metres and trekked to an altitude of 3,657 metres to perform darshan at the shrine in central Kashmir. 

Similarly, many batches of pilgrims opted for the toughest route in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam where they trekked more than 30 km and climbed the highest peak of the Mahagunas Pass located at an altitude of 4,276 metres to reach the shrine. It was the traditional route to the cave shrine.

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“We had registered for the yatra in 2020 and 2021 but could not perform darshan of Barfani Baba due to COVID-related restrictions. We are excited that our long-held wish to perform darshan is coming true this year,” said Dilip Sharma, a pilgrim from Rajasthan’s Jaipur.

Hundreds of Muslim labourers provided pony and palanquin services for women and old pilgrims who could not trek. “I have been shouldering the palanquin of pilgrims for the past one decade. It has been a source of earning also,” said Majeed Checha, a labourer in Sonamarg.

Scores of Muslims are offering tent accommodations to the pilgrims. Around 30,000 labourers, drawn from parts of the Valley, are registered this year to meet the rush of pilgrims. The officials are expecting the yatra to touch the highest eight lakh pilgrim footfall figure this year.