Millions of pilgrims from all over India embark on the sacred journey to holy Amarnath cave in Kashmir every year. The sacred pilgrimage is one of the most significant religious pilgrimage for Hindu pilgrims. The path is not an easy one - it includes trekking over mountain trails, exposure to cold climates, and coping with high altitudes. Along this hard but holy journey, there is one force that serves as a never-ending protector and benefactor, the Border Security Force, popularly known as BSF.
BSF in kashmir has long been guarding and assisting Amarnath pilgrims. Their service extends beyond security. They have evolved into the benevolent guardians who make sure that all pilgrims can safely and comfortably finish their spiritual quest. In 2025, their service has particularly been cherished by devotees around the country.
BSF's Round-the-Clock Protection Along the Yatra Trail, Right from when pilgrims begin their trek from the base camps until they arrive at the sacred cave, BSF personnel are everywhere. They are not simply standing sentry - they are actively assisting pilgrims in every which way. BSF jawans assist lost pilgrims back onto the right track, offer emergency medical assistance and ensure that the path is always secure and safe.
The commitment of BSF troops extends beyond their official duty. Several pilgrims have reported instances of how BSF jawans offered their own water bottles when pilgrims were out of water. They have provided their own food to hungry and exhausted devotees. When old pilgrims find it difficult to walk, BSF troops assist them by carrying their luggage or even assisting them to walk. When disabled pilgrims are in trouble, BSF jawans turn into their supporting staff, ensuring that they also can undertake their sacred journey.
Such good deeds occur daily during the period of yatra. BSF staff toil in extreme mountain weather, sometimes in rain and snow, but never cease assisting pilgrims. Such commitment proves that they realise the spiritual significance of this pilgrimage for devotees.
Realising the difficulties of pilgrims, BSF has also established a number of aid centers along the yatra path. These facilities act as resting areas where exhausted pilgrims can sit, rest and access assistance. In these stations, pilgrims can be provided with some medical support for various ailments that are most likely to arise during mountain travel.
BSF medical personnel are trained to take care of altitude sickness, which is usually a problem when individuals travel to the higher mountains. At high altitudes, the air is thin and can cause individuals to become dizzy, ill or experience breathing difficulties. BSF physicians and paramedics are trained to treat them effectively and promptly.
BSF camps also offer basic amenities such as clean drinking water, first aid for injuries and counseling on how to undertake the journey safely. Innumerable pilgrims have attested that the camps saved them from death when they became ill during their travel. BSF medical teams operate day and night to ensure no pilgrim is put under any health issue.
BSF Female Prahari has been particularly remarkable for BSF's service during the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra due to a unique new initiative. For the very first time, female staff of the BSF Mahila Prahari have been assigned to secure the routes towards Amarnath ji yatra to give a sense of safety to women pilgrims. This innitiative has been received with immense enthusiasm from female devotees from all over the country.
The Female soldiers selected for yatra duties are chosen ones from the women in camouflage of BSF comprising highly trained female officers and jawans. These female personnel have been specially trained to perceive and solve the special needs of women pilgrims. The presence of these women personnel has brought a huge change in the level of comfort and security felt by women pilgrims during their devotional journey.
Female pilgrims have been highly appreciative of this considerate addition to the security measures. Most women devotees have expressed their experiences of how having women officers present made them feel more secure and at ease. They no longer shy away from seeking assistance when required, since they are assured that there are women personnel who recognise their unique concerns and requirements.
Besides the camouflage women on Pahalgam routes the other female soldiers have undergone specialised training to meet the special demands of women pilgrims especially in medical field. They have been trained to treat women's medical problems that might not be treated by male staff members satisfactorily. They assist in making arrangements for changing rooms and private areas that women pilgrims may require during the journey.
Apart from physical support, these female staff along with the male staff together offer emotional comfort and guidance. To most women, particularly those who embark on this arduous pilgrimage for the first time, having a person to share words with and obtain motivation from means a lot of difference. The Female staff in medical camps or in base camps empathise with the fear and apprehension that women may experience during such a strenuous pilgrimage.
These woman officers who are trained assist with the practical issues as well. They offer comfort and assistance, Above all they make sure that every woman pilgrim is able to achieve her spiritual pilgrimage with confidence, dignity and security.
Overwhelming Appreciation from Female Devotees,
Women pilgrims have greeted the Female staff active from roads to terrains with an overwhelming sense of appreciation. Scores of female devotees have indicated that they were grateful for this considerate arrangement. Numerous women have stated that the presence of women officers gave them a sense that they had sisters protecting them throughout the trip.
Some women pilgrims have narrated heart-wrenching stories of how Female Prahari exceeded their roles to assist them.
The Female staff have also earned commendation for their professional attitude. They are as attentive to security and support as their male counterparts, but add a special touch of awareness of women's needs to the service. This mix has made the perfect support system for women pilgrims.
What is most unique about BSF's service during 2025 Amarnath Yatra is the way their people have demonstrated commitment that goes well beyond what is expected of them in terms of duty. During the yatra season, BSF jawans have put in more hours than necessary, sometimes without rest, to make sure that each pilgrim gets the assistance he or she requires.
Even in adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow or high winds, BSF personnel have worked without complaining. They know that for the pilgrims, this journey is once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey and they are not willing to let anything stand in the way of devotees successfully completing their pilgrimage.
The service orientation displayed by male and female BSF personnel has been impressive. They have treated each pilgrim as one of their family members, with real concern and affection for their well-being. This mentality has established an atmosphere of trust and appreciation between the BSF and the pilgrims that transcends the normal relationship between security forces and civilians.
The real measure of BSF service comes in the thousands of small kindnesses that occur every day along the yatra. They are perhaps minute gestures, but to pilgrims who are weary and struggling, they are everything. BSF personnel have been observed guiding elderly pilgrims up steep parts of the mountain trail, going so far as to carry them when they cannot walk.
When pilgrims become cold due to mountain weather, BSF jawans provide them with hot tea or warm food from their own rations. They also share blankets with pilgrims who do not have warm clothing. When children become frightened during tough portions of the travel, BSF staff reassure them and make them secure.
Numerous pilgrims have written about how BSF jawans recovered their lost items and returned them to them. Others write about how BSF medical personnel attended to their injuries with the same love they would show their own family members. These acts of servant-hood have become memories that the pilgrims can reflect on forever and have built stronger faith in their spiritual path as well as in the individuals who assist them in finishing it.
The service rendered by BSF in 2025 Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra has now emerged as a benchmark that other institutions in India aspire to. The synergy of professional security, medical aid and true human sympathy demonstrated by BSF staff has raised the bar for public service.
The success of the Female Prahar program has been especially pointed out by women's organisations and social activists throughout the country. It has been stated by many that this program demonstrates the potential of being more effective and inclusive as public services when one understands and meets the unique needs of various groups.
The pilgrims who have undertaken the yatra with the assistance of BSF have been made ambassadors of gratitude, narrating their good experiences to relatives and friends all over the country. Their testimonials have conveyed the message of BSF's selfless service far beyond the Kashmiri mountains and have earned a place of respect and appreciation from others who have never undertaken the pilgrimage themselves.
The BSF's role in the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is more than mere security and support - it is a solemn agreement between pilgrims and protectors alike, each seeking spiritual awakening. The BSF professionals know that they are not merely guarding pilgrims, they are ensuring and enabling one of India's most significant religious traditions.
As the pilgrims return home with blessings of their spiritual pilgrimage, they take with them not only the sacred experience of a visit to the sacred cave, but also the hospitality and courtesy of the BSF personnel who facilitated their trip. This is the real accomplishment of BSF's mission - not merely securing safe transit, but fostering an ethos where religion, service and humanness blend in complete harmony.
ZAMAN NOOR
Writer is an Independent Public Opinion Analyst, Research Columnist and Peace Activist.
