Jammu, India - Thousands of Hindus left for an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine, or abode of Lord Shiva -- the god of destruction -- 3,800 meters (12,800 feet) high in the mountains of restive Indian Kashmir.
The pilgrims who left the Himalayan state's winter capital Jammu in buses and taxis Tuesday for Baltal in the east of the region are mainly security personnel, officials said.
They will be followed on July 6 by civilians using the southern Pahalgam route, which takes three days but which is still buried under the heaviest snowfall in 30 years.
Both routes are heavily protected by thousands of police, paramilitaries and soldiers as Islamic militants, fighting a separatist war in Indian Kashmir, have attacked the pilgrims in the past.
The alpine routes are also hazardous because of snow, ice and narrow tracks that lead to dozens of deaths each year from accidents.
Indian Kashmir Governor S.K. Sinha was scheduled to offer prayers at the shrine to mark the beginning of the 40-kilometre (25-mile) Baltal route which takes a day of trekking to reach the shrine, according to police.
Civilian pilgrims who leave from Pahalgam in July will get extra security, including army escorts through the entire 55-kilometre (34-mile) mountainous route.
Amarnath shrine managers said they expect about 500,000 pilgrims this year compared to 300,000 last year. Visitors have been returning to Kashmir in greater numbers because of an ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.
The pilgrimage will end on August 19.