Jammu, August 17: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday flagged off the first batch of devotees for the annual Shri Budha Amarnath Ji Yatra from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu, marking the beginning of the pilgrimage to the revered shrine in Poonch district.
After performing a pooja, Sinha flagged off the pilgrims for the nearly 230-km journey to Poonch. The 12-day yatra to the Baba Budha Amarnath temple in Rajpura, Mandi tehsil, will continue until August 28 and culminate on Raksha Bandhan.
Extending his wishes to the pilgrims, Sinha described the pilgrimage as a deeply enlightening and transformative experience and prayed for a safe, peaceful and spiritually fulfilling journey for devotees arriving from different parts of the country.
“The sacred journey to Baba Budha Amarnath’s abode is a deeply enlightening experience,” Sinha said, adding that he believed the pilgrimage brings spiritual transformation to devotees.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by spiritual leaders, religious heads, public representatives, senior civil and police officers, security personnel, prominent citizens and a large number of devotees.
The administration has put in place multi-layered security arrangements along the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch route. Pilgrim convoys will travel under police escort, with additional security forces deployed along the route and surveillance intensified in Rajouri and Poonch.
Langars and reception counters have also been established at key transit points, including Sunderbani, Nowshera and Rajal in Rajouri district, while the Poonch administration has launched a dedicated portal for advance registration of pilgrims.
The annual pilgrimage is expected to draw devotees from different parts of the country to the ancient shrine located in the Mandi area of Poonch district.
