Page 3 - Jammu

22nd batch of pilgrims leave from Jammu base camp for Amarnath Yatra

A fresh batch of 3,500 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Thursday to offer prayers at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the Anantnag district, officials said. The 22nd batch of pilgrims, comprising 2,704 men, 675 women, 12 children and 109 sadhus and sadhvis, left the base camp in two convoys of 140 vehicles for Pahalgam and Baltal under tight security. While 2,668 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in a convoy of 95 vehicles, 832 pilgrims left in a convoy of 45 vehicles via the Baltal route. With this, 1,33,878 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for Kashmir since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Since the 38-day annual Amarnath Yatra commenced on July 3, over 3.40 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high shrine housing a naturally formed ice shivlingam. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine. The pilgrimage will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

Amarnath Yatra: Fresh batch of over 3,700 pilgrims leaves from Jammu

A fresh batch of over 3,700 pilgrims left Jammu on Monday for the twin base camps of the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security arrangements, officials said. So far, over 3 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the ice lingam of Lord Shiva at the 3,880-metre-high shrine since the yatra began on July 3. Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the batch of 3,791 pilgrims -- 3,067 men, 522 women, nine children, 192 sadhus and sadhvis, and a transgender -- left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 148 vehicles between 3.33 am and 4.06 am, they said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 1,208 pilgrims in 52 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 2,583 pilgrims in 96 vehicles, who are undertaking the yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said. According to data, the number of pilgrims undertaking the yatra has been declining over the last few

Amarnath Yatra: Over 8,600 pilgrims leave Jammu base camp in sixth batch

Amid a multi-tier security cover, more than 8,600 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu early Monday to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in the Himalayas, officials said. More than 70,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine located at a height of 3,880 metres since the start of the 38-day yatra, which commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district on July 3. The sixth batch of 8,605 pilgrims 6,486 men, 1,826 women, 42 children, and 251 sadhus and sadhvis left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 372 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements at 3.30 am and 4.25 am, the officials said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 3,486 pilgrims in 166 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 5,119 pilgrims in 206 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra from the 48-km traditional Pahalgam .

Second batch of over 5,200 pilgrims leave for Amarnath yatra from Jammu

Amid tight security, the second batch of more than 5,200 pilgrims left the base camp here on Thursday for the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high shrine commenced on Thursday via the twin tracks the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9. The pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a cavalcade of 168 vehicles escorted by security police and central paramilitary forces, they said. With this, the number of pilgrims who have left for the shrine from the Jammu base camp has reached 11,138, officials said. The second batch of pilgrims includes 4,074 men, 786 women, and 19 children. A group of pilgrims on way to the shrine said they were not deterred by the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead. "We do not fear terrorists or Pakistan, which has engineered attacks

J&K L-G flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims numbering over 5,880 amid multi-tier security cover, marking the beginning of this year's pilgrimage from here. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high shrine will commence on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. A batch of 5,892 pilgrims, including 1,115 women, 31 children and 16 transgenders left the base camp in the first batch at 4.30 am to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said. The yatra will conclude on August 9. More than 3.31 lakh devotees have registered so far for this year's Amarnath Yatra, officials said. The L-G performed pooja soon after his arrival at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp and later flagged off the yatra for the twin base camps in Kashmir, officials said. Sinha was flanked

Offline registration for Amarnath Yatra starts at special centres in Jammu

The Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3, and the registration is underway for devotees who have not yet registered for the Yatra through online mode. A large number of devotees have visited the special centre as registration begins today at the centres set up by the administration.The Yatra will begin on July 3 through the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.A devotee who came to the centre for registration said, "The people are enthusiastic this time. There is no fear (due to the Pahalgam attack). Arrangements are good. The administration is with us."Another devotee added, "You can see the enthusiasm in the people. I have faith in Amarnath. They (terrorists) can do whatever they want; we will not be affected. I want to request all the people to visit J & K so that our army and government can say that we are not affected by their (terrorists) actions."Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) has rolled out a robust multi-layered security plan along the ..

Jammu police set up checkpoints across city ahead of Amarnath Yatra

Jammu police has set up several checkpoints across the city to bolster security arrangements and carry out daily anti-sabotage checks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3, officials said. The 38-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- leading to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the start of the yatra. "In view of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu Police has significantly bolstered the security arrangements by establishing joint nakas (checkpoints) at multiple strategic locations across the district," a police spokesperson said. He said the checkpoints have been set up in coordination with paramilitary forces to ensure a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience. The ...

Flash floods kill 7 in Himachal, Jammu; IMD issues red alert for Kerala, MP

Flash floods triggered by cloudbursts created havoc in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, washing away bridges, roads and houses and claiming at least seven lives on Thursday as the monsoon tightened its grip over several parts of India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert' for three Kerala districts where heavy rain flooded several low-lying areas and also predicted heavy downpours in several parts of Madhya Pradesh in the next 24 hours. Cloudburst, flash floods and heavy rain wreaked havoc in Kangra and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. While two bodies were recovered yesterday, the death toll climbed to four on Thursday after the recovery of two more bodies from the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric project site in Kangra district. Kangra SP Shalini Agnihotri on Thursday said those killed had been identified as Chain Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, Aditya Thakur from Chamba, and Pardeep Verma and Chandan, both from Uttar Pradesh. Whi

Air India Express flight returns to Delhi over suspected GPS issue

An Air India Express flight from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu returned to its origin airport before landing here on Monday afternoon, officials said. A spokesman of the airline said the flight returned to Delhi as a precautionary measure following a suspected GPS interference and an alternative aircraft was later provided to the passengers to reach their destination. The officials said that the flight IX-2564 was supposed to land in Jammu around noon before leaving for Srinagar, but it hovered over the Jammu airport for sometime before its pilot decided to return to Delhi without landing. The weather and the runway were clear, but it seems the pilot could not find an appropriate landing area, they said. Our DelhiJammu flight returned to Delhi as a precautionary measure following a suspected GPS interference incident. Subsequently, an alternative flight was organised to connect guests to Jammu, said an Air India Express spokesperson. We regret the inconvenience caused. Instances of

Military-civil liaison meeting in Jammu focuses on synergy post Op Sindoor

More than a month after the launch of Operation Sindoor, a two-day military civil liaison conference was held here to enhance synergy and deliberate on critical issues, including ongoing efforts to support the local population along the border areas, the Indian Army on Saturday said. The conference, held on June 12 and 13 at Satwari cantonment, was among others attended by General Officer Commanding, Tiger Division, Maj Gen Mukesh Bhanwala, and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, said a defence spokesman. Operation Sindoor saw close coordination and integration between Tiger Division, para military forces and civil administration to counter the nefarious design of the adversary. The conference was organised to further enhance this synergy, he added. Under Operation Sindoor, the Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during the intervening night of May 6 and 7 in retaliation to the Pahalgam ..

LG disburses pension to 12,660 beneficiaries under ISSS in J&K

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday disbursed the pension arrears of Rs. 6.14 crore to 12,660 beneficiaries under the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS). Sinha said the ISSS is aimed at ensuring financial inclusion and supporting senior citizens, widows and differently-abled individuals. He, however, added that the arrears were pending due to Aadhaar non-seeding. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor informed that the Social Welfare Department is coming up with a revolutionary app for the integration of eligible senior citizens into the pension beneficiaries. The LG also inaugurated a 50-bedded halfway home for psycho-social rehabilitation of treated and controlled people with mental illness in Jammu and 'Parisha', a childcare institution for girls in Samba district. The facility was established at Rs 4.39 crore at Lower Chowadi Jammu under Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS). "The halfway home will offer a structured environment to help individuals wi

BSF kills 7 terrorists in Jammu, destroys Pak Rangers post: Reports

The Border Security Force on Friday said it has killed seven terrorists who were trying to infiltrate from across the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu, and also destroyed a Rangers post. The incident took place in the Samba sector on the intervening night of May 8-9 after a "big group" of terrorists was detected by the surveillance grid. This infiltration bid was supported by fire from Pakistan Rangers post Dhandhar, a BSF spokesperson said. He said the troops neutralised the infiltration bid, killing at least seven terrorists and caused extensive damage to the Dhandhar post It also shared a thermal imager clip of the destruction of the said post. The force is on high alert in the wake of the current hostilities between the two countries following the Pahalgam terrorist attack of April 22 and India's strike on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation.

Can Sensex, Nifty crash and hit lower circuit as India, Pak tensions rise?

For the Nifty 50 index to hit the lower circuit, it has to fall 10 per cent to 21.846.20 levels on Friday. If this becomes a reality before 1 PM, then the trading will be halted for 45 minutes

Blackout in Jammu after explosions heard near airport, counter-measures on

Security forces have detected Pakistani drones near the airport, according to PTI

Authorities in Jammu review plan to enhance facilities for Amarnath Yatra

Authorities in Jammu have reviewed a development plan to enhance civic amenities for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Tuesday. The review focused on improving infrastructure and sanitation to ensure a smooth experience for thousands of devotees expected to participate in the annual pilgrimage to the revered 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, they said. The 38-day yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims will leave the Jammu base camp on July 2. Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, chaired a meeting to review the development plan for augmentation of civic amenities and renovation work for the yatra en route Jammu division, an official spokesperson said. He said the meeting, attended by senior officers of various departments here on Monday, discuss

Pahalgam attack grim reminder that terrorism is global menace: V-P Dhankhar

Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar said here on Friday that the Pahalgam terror attack was a grim reminder that terrorism is a global menace to be addressed by humanity in unison. He also appealed to the people to rise above political, personal and other interests to prioritise national interest. Bharat, he said was the world's most peace loving nation and her civilisation ethos reflected in 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the doctrine that sees the world as a family) was getting global resonance. "We observed silence at the commencement of this conference. I join the nation in expressing profound grief and outrage at the heinous attack in Pahalgam that claimed innocent lives," the Vice President said speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Vice Chancellors conference of state, central, and private universities of Tamil Nadu at the Raj Bhavan, Udhagamandalam. Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi, and Vice Chancellors joined the Vice President in observing a minute's silence in memo

Pahalgam terror attack a 'murder of humanity': Kerala Governor after 26 die

Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Friday said here that the terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam was the "murder of humanity" and that the terrorists were trying to "wipe out" all the work that was done there by the Central government in the last few years. Arlekar also said that in the current circumstances citizens of India need to stand together as a nation, in an apparent reference to criticisms of security lapses from some quarters, including the Congress and the CPI(M). The Governor was speaking to reporters after paying his respects to the mortal remains of N Ramachandran, a resident of Edappally here, who was gunned down in the April 22 terror attack that claimed 26 lives. "It is a very sad moment not only for Kerala, but the entire country. In fact, what happened in Pahalgam was against humanity. This was a murder of humanity and we all are so saddened that we cannot express it," he said. "All that was done in the last few months and years is being wiped out by

Two men posing as pony service providers caught on Vaishno Devi route

Two men were booked for allegedly impersonating pony service providers using fake documents on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi route in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, officials said. During routine patrolling near Shri Geeta Mata Mandir, police team intercepted a man identifying as one Puran Singh. On verifying, police found his name to be Manir Hussain. He was using someone else's authorised service card to operate illegally, police said, adding that an FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered at Katra Police Station. In a similar case near Ban Ganga bridge, police caught Sahil Khan, who was from Kotli in Jammu district, for allegedly operating a pony service without any valid license. He admitted that he had no authorisation and a case was registered, police said. Authorities said surveillance and verification drives would continue to curb unauthorised activities on the shrine route. Police have urged all service providers to carry valid documents and requested the

Railways facilitates journey of stranded tourists amidst rush from Jammu

In a proactive move to aid stranded tourists, the Indian Railways undertook significant operations from Katra and Jammu stations, ensuring smooth onward journeys towards New Delhi and beyond via special unreserved trains till late Thursday night, officials said. Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav flagged off special tourist trains from Jammu and Kashmir, underscoring the railways' commitment to passenger welfare. The train, which had an occupancy rate of approximately 67 per cent, carried around 580 reserved passengers and an additional 180 unreserved passengers, they said. The second special train departing from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK), accommodated approximately 200 passengers from the Jammu region, with meticulous food and catering arrangements managed by IRCTC, they said. Responding to escalating demand, an additional third AC coach with 72 berths was swiftly attached to the train to alleviate the eastbound rush. Similarly, an extra coach is slated for attachment to .

2 terrorists killed as army foils infiltration bid in J-K's Baramulla

The Army also recovered a large quantity of weapons, ammunition and other war-like stores from the terrorists. The operation is still in progress