Amarnath Yatra : J&K Asks Pilgrims to Follow Registration Dates and Capacity Limits

Srinagar : As thousands of devotees continue to arrive at the Yatra base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal every day without prior registration, or before the dates and slots allotted to them, the Amarnath Yatra administration on Saturday issued an urgent appeal to all pilgrims to strictly follow the prescribed registration and scheduling process in the larger interest of safety and orderly conduct of the pilgrimage.

The annual Yatra, which commenced on July 3, is a 57-day pilgrimage to the revered cave shrine situated at an altitude of about 3,880 metres in the South Kashmir Himalayas. Pilgrims undertake the journey either through the traditional 48-kilometre Nunwan–Pahalgam route or the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route. The pilgrimage is conducted in challenging high-altitude terrain and is, therefore, subject to strict safety, environmental and crowd-management regulations.

The administration has reiterated that, in compliance with directions of the Supreme Court, a maximum daily limit on the number of pilgrims allowed on the Yatra routes has been fixed. Adherence to this daily ceiling is mandatory and is aimed at ensuring the safety of devotees and the smooth management of the pilgrimage. No pilgrim will be permitted to undertake the Yatra beyond the approved daily capacity, it said.

The need to regulate pilgrim numbers is not new. Following the tragic 1996 Yatra disaster, the Nitish Sengupta Commission, appointed to examine the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, recommended placing limits on the number of pilgrims undertaking the journey each day in view of the difficult terrain and safety considerations. The Commission recommended restricting pilgrim movement to about 3,500 yatris per day on the routes and regulating overall Yatra numbers.

To facilitate devotees, advance registration was opened well before the commencement of the Yatra through designated bank branches across the country and online platforms. The overwhelming majority of pilgrims have already availed themselves of this facility. Consequently, Tatkal (on-the-spot) registration slots are extremely limited and cannot accommodate the large number of unregistered devotees arriving in J&K every day, a spokesperson of the Amarnath Yatra administration said on Saturday.

The administration has advised all intending pilgrims to travel to J&K only after securing valid registration and completing all mandatory formalities prescribed for the Yatra. “Pilgrims must also ensure that they undertake the journey strictly on the date mentioned in their registration permit. It has been observed that many registered devotees are arriving several days before their allotted date in the hope of proceeding earlier,” the spokesperson said.

He added: “However, no pilgrim will be allowed to undertake the Yatra before the date assigned to him or her, irrespective of when they arrive at the base camps.”

Devotees who have reached J&K without registration have been requested to remain patient and await their turn in accordance with the available capacity and established procedures. The administration has assured that every eligible pilgrim will be provided an opportunity to perform the Yatra, but only within the limits mandated for safety, disaster preparedness, crowd management and environmental protection.

“All pilgrims are urged to cooperate with the authorities, respect the registration schedule, follow safety advisories and maintain discipline so that the sacred pilgrimage may continue in a safe, orderly and spiritually fulfilling manner for everyone,” an official statement issued here said.