Budha Amarnath Yatra Commences in J-K Amid Tight Security

On Friday, a group of more than 1,000 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the hilly Poonch area of Jammu and Kashmir to begin the 10-day Budha Amarnath Yatra.

As Additional Director General of Police for the Jammu Zone Mukesh Singh waved off the pilgrims’ procession, chants of “Bam Bam Bhole,” “Har Har Mahadev,” and “Jai Shri Ram” filled the air.

A convoy of 29 cars carrying a total of 1,338 pilgrims, comprising 907 men and 411 women, departed for the Budha Amarnath shrine in the Rajpura hamlet of Poonch. According to authorities, paramilitary soldiers guarded the convoy.

The setting off event at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp was attended by representatives of religious and social organizations, including Vinayakrao Deshpande, national general secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, and Neeraj Doneria, national convenor of the Bajrang Dal.

A puja was conducted in the midst of mantra and shloka chanting prior to Singh signaling the start of the yatra. According to Singh, who was speaking to media, the Budha Amarnath Yatra is one of the most significant Hindu pilgrimages in north India, and sufficient security measures have been taken to guarantee a successful pilgrimage.

One of the oldest shrines in the Jammu area is the Budha Amarnath temple, which is devoted to Lord Shiva. During the yearly yatra, which comes to an end with the arrival of the “Charri Mubarak” (holy mace) to the shrine from the Dashnami Akhara, Poonch, the temple draws a huge number of believers. Devotees wash in the holy Pulsata river, which runs near the temple, before entering the building.