Srinagar: The first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra received a warm welcome as they reached the Kashmir valley on Thursday.The batch of 4,822 pilgrims was flagged off earlier in the day by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu."Amarnath Ji Yatra is a sacred path where devotion meets spiritual awakening. I wish all devotees a safe, comfortable, blissful and spiritually fulfilling journey. May this holy pilgrimage bring immense joy and divine peace to all,” said Sinha.As the convoy of around 259 heavy and light vehicles entered the Valley through the Navyug Tunnel in Qazigund area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district under tight multi-tier security cover, they received a rousing welcome.Police and civil administration officials, including the IG of CRPF and DIG South Kashmir Range Javid Iqbal Matoo, greeted the pilgrims with garlands, flower bouquets and petals.The convoys later proceeded separately towards the Baltal and Pahalgam base camps, from where pilgrims will begin the onward journey early Friday to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine.The 57-day pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28. Devotees can take either the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag in southern Kashmir or the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. The yatris were also received warmly by the locals at base camps on both the routes. The administration has temporarily suspended Yatra on Baltal route due to continuous rains.In 2025, following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, around 410,000 pilgrims visited the holy cave, a decline of around 100,000 from the previous year. Inclement weather forced the early conclusion of the yatra within 35 days last year.