Amarnath Yatra begins as first batch of pilgrims leaves Jammu under tight security

Jammu,UPDATED: Jul 2, 2026 10:44 IST

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu, marking the start of the annual pilgrimage under a multi-tier security cover. More than 5,000 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in escorted vehicles for the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir.

The 57-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine will begin on July 3 on both routes at the same time.

The yatra will proceed through the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, and conclude on August 28.

Before the flag-off, Sinha performed a special puja at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp, officials said. He was joined by Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma, BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, local BJP legislators, senior civil and police officials, and representatives of various religious organisations.

As pilgrims raised chants of "Bam Bam Bhole", "Har Har Mahadev" and "Jai Barfani Baba Ki", the convoy left for Kashmir amid elaborate security arrangements.

After the ceremony, Sinha said on X, "Har Har Mahadev! The sacred journey to the holy abode of Baba Barfani begins! Flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp. Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is a profound spiritual awakening."

He said every step taken on the sacred route reflected unwavering faith and devotion to Lord Shiva, and wished the pilgrims a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey.

Pilgrims said they were satisfied with the arrangements made by the administration and security agencies. Suresh Kumar from Surat, who is undertaking the pilgrimage for the first time, praised the facilities and assistance provided by the administration and the Army.

Baba Goga Nath of Junagarh Akhara described the journey as a blessing and praised the arrangements for seers and devotees. Another seer, Sukham Dass, who arrived with 20 sadhus from Kashi and has been undertaking the pilgrimage for the past 32 years, said facilities for elderly and specially abled pilgrims had improved significantly.

Vaibhav, a pilgrim from Uttarakhand, said he was happy to be part of the first batch and expressed confidence in the security arrangements.

Rajni Devi from Jaipur, who has been undertaking the pilgrimage for the past nine years, also praised the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and the administration for the arrangements, and said there was no reason to fear as the security forces were safeguarding the yatra.

Officials said the convoy was escorted under heavy security, while traffic restrictions and area domination measures were enforced along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims.

A traffic official said restrictions would remain in force on various stretches of the highway from July 2 to August 28, with daily advisories and sector-wise cut-off timings to regulate movement.

More than 3.90 lakh devotees have registered for this year's pilgrimage, and on-the-spot registration has also started in Jammu. Officials said the Jammu region had been placed under an extensive security grid with multi-layered deployment and technology-based surveillance.

BJP MP Jugal Kishore Sharma described the Amarnath Yatra as one of the country's most significant pilgrimages and said he was confident it would conclude smoothly.

Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma also greeted the pilgrims and said the arrangements made by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board would ensure a comfortable journey.

With the first batch now on its way from Jammu, the Amarnath Yatra is set to begin on July 3 through both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, with security and traffic arrangements in place for the pilgrimage that will run till August 28.

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