OVER 400,000 HINDUS JOIN AMARNATH PILGRIMAGE IN KASHMIR DESPITE SECURITY THREATS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
More than 400,000 Hindu devotees have participated in the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in Indian-administered Kashmir, defying security concerns following recent violence and a brief conflict between India and Pakistan.
The pilgrimage, which began on July 3 and was scheduled to end on August 9, was disrupted prematurely due to heavy rains that damaged key routes leading to the sacred ice cave shrine. Authorities, however, confirmed a turnout of 415,000 pilgrims before the disruption.
“The yatra has concluded peacefully despite the early closure,” said senior official Vijay Kumar Bidhuri in a statement released late Saturday.
The spiritual journey, which involves a steep trek to a remote Himalayan cave housing a naturally-formed ice pillar representing Lord Shiva, began near Pahalgam an area still reeling from the April 22 attack in which 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, were killed by gunmen.
India blamed the attack on militants backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denied. The diplomatic fallout led to a four-day cross-border conflict, with missile, drone, and artillery strikes killing over 70 people before both countries agreed to a ceasefire on May 10.
Indian security forces last week reported killing three Pakistani militants believed to be behind the Pahalgam attack during a July 28 gunfight in nearby forests.
Despite the violence, Indian authorities deployed around 45,000 security personnel, equipped with high-tech surveillance systems, to secure the pilgrimage route. Their efforts were part of a broader campaign to encourage participation in the religious event amid rising tensions in the Muslim-majority region.
While a few remaining devotees may continue visiting the shrine informally, this year’s total turnout fell short of the estimated 500,000 pilgrims recorded in 2024.
Meanwhile, gun battles continue in parts of the region. On Sunday, Indian troops engaged militants for a third consecutive day in Kulgam, far from the pilgrimage route. Two militants were confirmed killed, according to a senior police official.
Kashmir remains a long-disputed territory, claimed in full but administered in parts by both India and Pakistan since their independence from Britain in 1947. Rebel groups have waged a decades-long insurgency seeking independence or merger with Pakistan, keeping the region in a state of near-constant tension.
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