Amarnath Yatra: LG Flags off First Batch of Pilgrims from Jammu
Sinha performed a special puja at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp before flagging off the convoy of pilgrims
SRINAGAR: The chants of “Har Har Mahadev”, “Bam Bam Bhole” and other Vedic hymns reverberated through Jammu at daybreak on Thursday as the first batch of 4,822 pilgrims, including saffron-clad sadhus and sadhvis, set out from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also chairs the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), flagged off the convoy from the high-security base camp in the heart of the city, formally setting in motion the pilgrimage to the cave shrine situated at an altitude of about 3,880 metres in the Himalayas of Kashmir.
Before the flag-off, Sinha performed a special puja and extended his best wishes to the devotees. He said the administration, the SASB, J&K Police, security forces, health authorities, sanitation teams, voluntary organisations and local stakeholders had put in place comprehensive arrangements to ensure a safe, smooth and hassle-free pilgrimage.
Later, in a post on ‘X’, the Lt. Governor wrote: “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. Every step taken on this holy path is a testament to unwavering faith and surrender to Baba Amarnath. Wishing all devotees a safe, blissful and spiritually fulfilling journey. May Lord Shiva bless us all.”
The 57-day pilgrimage is scheduled to formally begin from the twin tracks on Friday, July 3, and conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Pilgrims will proceed through the traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The religious opening of the yatra was marked earlier with the performance of the Pratham Puja at the cave shrine on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima on Monday.
Officials said 2,510 pilgrims in the first batch are travelling via the Pahalgam route, while 2,312 have opted for Baltal. The group comprises 3,707 men, 816 women, 16 children, 246 sadhus and 37 sadhvis. The convoy included 259 vehicles—106 buses, 39 medium motor vehicles, 111 light motor vehicles and three two-wheelers—moving under a multi-layered security cover.
The Baltal-bound convoy left Bhagwati Nagar around 6.10 am., followed by the Pahalgam-bound convoy at about 6,35 am. Both convoys were escorted by security personnel along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH44) and were expected to reach the Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal base camps later in the day, ahead of the formal opening of the trekking routes to the holy cave.
Authorities said hundreds of additional pilgrims have already reached the base camps in Pahalgam and Baltal and are waiting to undertake the arduous mountain trek for darshan of the naturally formed ice-lingam of Lord Shiva. The administration expects more than half a million devotees to visit the shrine during this year’s yatra. Officials added that registered pilgrims have been advised to carry mandatory documents and RFID cards, while all routes have been brought under enhanced surveillance and security arrangements for the duration of the pilgrimage.
