Srinagar, July 2 -- The sacred journey to the Amarnath cave shrine commenced early Wednesday morning, marking the beginning of the 38-day annual pilgrimage that holds deep spiritual significance for lakhs of devotees across India.

Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from the heavily fortified Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu amid chants of "Bam Bam Bhole" and the rhythmic beat of drums.

At precisely 4:30 am, the first convoy rolled out under tight security, carrying 5,892 registered pilgrims in 310 vehicles. Of these, 3,403 are headed for the Nunwan base camp via the traditional Pahalgam route in South Kashmir...