In photos: Annual Amarnath Yatra kicks off amid tight security arrangements

On 29 July, thousands of Hindu pilgrims started their trek at dawn from Chandanwari after spending night at the base came Nunwan in Pahalgam in Kashmir for the annual Amarnath Yatra.

Almost a lakh of people have registered for the Amarnath Yatra this year. While helicopter services are quite popular among yatris, thousands of them still trek to the holy site. 

In 2016, a total of 2.20 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine which is located in the Himalayas at an altitude of 12,756 feet and a distance of about 141 kms from Srinagar.

This year, the yatra will last for 40 days, shorter by eight days from last year.

This year, the yatra began with high-security arrangements in light of the recent brutal protest in Kashmir and the killing of Hizb-ul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last year. 

Most of the devotees travel by foot, however, ponies and horses are available from Chandanwari to Amarnath cave.