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Photos: Pilgrims make first move towards Amarnath
The first batch of Amarnath pilgrims left Jammu for the cave shrine in the Kashmir Valley amid escalated security arrangements. The 40-day yatra will culminate on August 7 on Raksha Bandhan.
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Sadhus undergo a security check before getting registered for the annual Amarnath Yatra at Ram Mandir base camp in Jammu. The first batch of Amarnath pilgrims left here for the cave shrine in the Kashmir Valley amid extraordinary security arrangements. The 40-day yatra will culminate on August 7 on Raksha Bandhan. There are two routes: the traditional 28.2 km long Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, while the Baltal track in Ganderbal district is a 9.5 km-stretch. (PTI)
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A paramilitary soldier stands guard overlooking a highway as the first batch of Hindu pilgrims leave for the 2017 Amarnath Yatra. Security has been ramped up for the visit to the shrine, situated in a mountain cave 4,115 metres above sea level. (Nitin Kanotra/Hindustan Times)
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Sadhus wave from a bus during their Amarnath Yatra.The temperature at the cave shrine is expected to be between 1 degree and 14 degrees Celsius. (PTI)
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Besides Jammu and Kashmir Police, 30,000 paramilitary personnel are deployed along both yatra routes this year. The army has also deployed five battalions in the Valley for the yatra. (PTI)
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Devotees shout religious slogans in a bus as the first batch of pilgrims left for Amarnath Yatra, in Jammu. (PTI)
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The cave houses an ice stalagmite structure that waxes and wanes with the size of the visible moon. Devotees believe the structure symbolises mythical powers of Lord Shiva. (Nitin Kanotra/Hindustan Times)
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A Sadhu or a Hindu holy man bathes before registering for the annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, at a base camp in Jammu. (REUTERS)
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Devotees chant religious slogans as the first batch of Hindu pilgrims leave for Amarnath Yatra. (Nitin Kanotra/HT Photo)
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Paramedical staff member examines a Sadhu at a medical camp in Jammu. 253 health professionals, including 107 doctors and 146 paramedics have been deployed on yatra routes. (PTI)
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