Religious fervour soars high amid icy winds at Baltal base camp

As icy winds blow from the snow-clad mountains, a group of pilgrims were preparing to embark on the 14-km journey to Amarnath cave shrine. They had left from Jammu early in the morning and will offer prayers at holy cave on Saturday morning. These yatris will be among the first batch to pay obeisance at the holy cave, marking the beginning of the 62-day long annual pilgrimage.

From Srinagar to the Baltal base camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, three tier security is in place and every suspicious vehicle is being checked by the security personnel.

Similar security arrangements are in place from Khanbal to Pahalgam in Anantnag district, another route for the yatra. Bulletproof vehicles are placed at sensitive spots with security personnel keeping a vigil on the national highway that leads towards the base camps.

“We will be deployed here for next 62 days for security of Amarnath pilgrims. Every suspicious person or vehicle is being checked at multiple spots and people lacking identity proofs are not being allowed to go close to yatris, the stop-over camps or the base camp,” said a senior CRPF officer deployed at Baltal base camp.

Although Baltal is the shorter route to the cave shrine, its steepness makes it difficult. Despite it being longer, Pahalgam is longer and preferred route by majority of pilgrims, especially aged yatris.

While Police, CRPF and SSB personnel look after internal security of the yatra, army’s Rashtriya Rifles are conducting area dominations in the forests and villages which fall on the yatra’s route.

CRPF has deployed moutain rescue teams at multiple places and drone cameras are in place at sensitive locations for surveillance. Special teams of state and national disaster response forces have been deployed at the base camps.

The Baltal base camp looks like a tent city as hundreds of tents have been pitched at the open field surrounded by mountains and forests.

Although rainfall has led to a drop in temperature, it is not enough to deter the pilgrims who have come from across the country.

Amid religious hymns and slogans, the basecamp has come to life as pilgrims discuss their forward journey.

Nek Chand, a 31-year-old from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, is part of a group of 20 people. He said, “it was a great experience as I am coming undertaking the yatra for the first time. The arrangements are very good and everything is up to the mark,”.

Vijay Kumar from Punjab, who has been coming regularly for yatra for 22 years, said that he is aware of the increased vigil by security forces.

“Officials who had been to cave told us that that increased security arrangements have been made enroute the yatra. We are group of 25 people of different age groups. Many of us have come in their own vehicle for darshan,” he said

Last year, over 3.65 lakh pilgrims had visited the cave shrine and officials expect this number to go up this year.