Budha Amarnath Yatra to begin from Jammu on August 6

Jammu: The 12-day 'Budha Amarnath' pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch border district will begin on Tuesday with the flagging off of the first batch from Jammu amid tight security arrangements.

Security has been heightened across the border districts of Jammu, Poonch, and Rajouri in preparation for the annual yatra, which is scheduled to conclude on August 17. 

Ahead of the yatra, security forces and police conducted extensive combing operations along the yatra route and in the hinterlands of Rajouri, Poonch, and Jammu districts, maintaining a high level of alertness, officials said.

"The yatra will begin early morning from Bhagwati Nagar towards Poonch amid tight security measures. The devotees will proceed towards Budha Amarnath," national convener of Bajrang Dal Neeraj Doneria said.

He said the yatra, which began in 2005 amidst militancy, marks its 20th year.

"In the 1990s, Hindu communities were under threat of migration from areas like Poonch due to terrorism, but the efforts of Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in starting the (Budha Amarnath) yatra put a halt to the migration and boosted the morale of Hindus in the region," he added.

Doneria said that despite six terrorist attacks on the yatra route last year, Bajrang Dal remains committed to ensuring the yatra proceeds in a smooth and grand manner.  He recalled how in 1996, despite threats to halt the Amarnath Yatra, over 50,000 Bajrang Dal activists nationwide rallied, allowing the yatra to continue uninterrupted.

Stringent security measures have been implemented in Rajouri and Poonch to ensure a peaceful and incident-free yatra, with all boarding and lodging arrangements overseen by the administration, he said.

The Budha Amarnath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Rajpura village in Poonch's Mandi tehsil is among the oldest shrines in the Jammu region, drawing large numbers of devotees during the yatra. The yatra concludes with the arrival of the 'Charri Mubarak' (holy mace) at the shrine from Dashnami Akhara Poonch.

The Pulsata river, considered sacred, flows by the temple, where pilgrims traditionally bathe before entering. Thousands of devotees undertake the yatra annually to pay obeisance at this renowned shrine of Lord Shiva.