Click to play videoAmarnath: It is the cave that the legends say was chosen by Lord Shiva to narrate the creation of the universe to Parvati. And every year lakhs of pilgrims travel to the cave to pay their respects to the ice lingam inside.
This year the Amarnath Shrine Board are expecting more than 4 lakh people. The Shrine Board say they have taken special measures to make the yatra a success.
Says Chairman, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, Lt General S K Sinha, "Our emphasis will be on three different areas - security of the pilgrims, maintaining the ecology of the area and providing maximum facilities and convenience to the pilgrims."
Apart from the Jammu & Kashmir Police, the Army, CRPF, BSF and CISF are deployed along the two routes from Pahalgam and Baltal. Police say security this year will be up to the task.
Says IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai, "We have tried our best to ensure that the Yatra goes off peacefully."
The ice lingam whose authenticity was questioned last year has melted to one-tenth of its original size, but the yatra bookings haven't dropped.
Base camps at Pahalgam and Sonamarg are already ready to receive yatris who will travel to the cave on foot or ponies or even by choppers. But like every year, the tourism industry is worried the yatra will keep tourists away from the valley.
Says Labaika Tourism Services' Umar Nazir, "The tourist who comes to Kashmir for a holiday has to face too many inconveniences because the yatra security arrangements are tight and they have to go through loads of hassles."
But, whether the tourists like it or not, from Saturday - weather permitting - close to 10,000 pilgrims will flock to the cave everyday.
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