Jammu, Aug. 17 -- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Baba Budha Amarnath Ji Yatra from the Jammu base camp, marking the beginning of the pilgrimage to the revered shrine located in Poonch district.

A large number of devotees from different parts of the country have reached the Jammu base camp to participate in the annual pilgrimage. The first batch is scheduled to travel towards Poonch and is expected to reach the district by the evening.

The pilgrimage is being coordinated by the Jammu and Kashmir administration in coordination with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. Security arrangements have been put in place along the pilgrimage route to en...