The annual pilgrimage to Hindu shrine of Amarnath began Saturday in Indian-controlled Kashmir amid tight security measures.

Officials said the first batch of Hindu pilgrims who had reached the base camp were allowed to proceed in the morning towards the holy cave perched high in the Himalayas located 3,888 meters above sea level.

"On the first day of yatra (pilgrimage) about 7,900 pilgrims left for the holy cave through the Baltal-Domail route as the Chandanwari-Sheshnag route in Pahalgam is still not safe for the pilgrimage,"said the spokesman of the shrine board.

The shrine board responsible for the safety and security during the pilgrimage is headed by Indian-controlled Kashmir Governor N N Vohra.

"Governor N N Vohra paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum and participated in the pooja (prayer) ceremony,"the spokesman said." He prayed for sustained peace, harmony, progress and prosperity of the region."

Vohra was accompanied by Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), Rakesh K Gupta, the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, the Lt Gen Subrata Saha, senior government officials and officers of police and paramilitary.

The governor also flagged off a helicopter service from the base camps. The service was started of late to fly pilgrims directly to the cave.

The cave houses the ice stalagmite, referred by Hindus as Shiv Lingam (the phallus of Lord Shiva).

During the beginning of pilgrimage, the ice stalagmite stands 4. 6 meters high, following which it starts melting owing to high influx of pilgrims inside the cave.

Two trek routes lead to shrine, one from Baltal about 110 km north of Srinagar City, while another one from Pahalgam which is about 100 km south of Srinagar.

The Baltal route is shorter compared to the traditional Pahalgam route, which is bit arduous and snow-bound. From Baltal to the shrine, it is a daylong journey while the trek through Pahalgam would take two days.

Officials said the Pahalgam route is still snowbound but would be opened soon."Yatra through Pahalgam route will not be allowed until Monday (June 30), after which a high level meeting will be held regarding the opening of the route,"the spokesman said.

The board has issued a detailed advisory for the pilgrims visiting the shrine."The pilgrims need to strictly adhere to the Do's and Don'ts while undertaking the arduous trek through high mountain ranges under adverse weather conditions,"the spokesman said.

The 44 day-long pilgrimage season would culminate on Aug. 10.

The board's schedule of the pilgrimage in the past 16 years varied from 15 to 60 days.

Officials said that around 300 companies of police and India's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel have been deployed along the routes to thwart militant attacks on pilgrims and ensure hassle-free pilgrimage. Checkpoints for vehicles and pedestrians have also been put in place to detect explosives or bomb devices.

In 1996, at least 243 pilgrims were killed on the route to the shrine due to inclement weather.

The pilgrimage has previously been targeted by militant groups fighting New Delhi's rule in the region. A guerrilla war is also going on between militants and stationed Indian troops in the region since 1989. The gun fighting between militants and Indian army troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir takes place intermittently.

Last year, 353,784 pilgrims visited the Hindu shrine, officials said.

In 2008, a disagreement over the transfer of 100 acres of forest land to the shrine board brought the region to boil. The local population feared transfer of land to non-state subjects had some hidden agenda.

The standoff took a communal color and Hindu activists disrupted the transport of essential supplies to Muslim majority areas thereby imposing an economic blockade on them. It subsequently saw biggest pro-independence rallies in the Muslim dominated areas of region, with millions of people marching on the streets and demanding implementation of UN resolutions in solving the Kashmir dispute.

More than 60 people were killed and scores wounded in police firings across the region during the demonstration.

Environmental groups have accused the board of playing havoc with the fragile environment en-route the holy cave by increasing the flow of pilgrims and extending the duration of the pilgrimage from 15 days to more than two months.

Separatists demanding an end to New Delhi's rule in the region have also cited environmental concerns and have asked the government to restrict the annual pilgrimage to 15 days.