Pratham Puja Announced To Mark Formal Start Of Amarnath Yatra Preparations
Pratham Puja will be performed in the last week of June; formal commencement date of the Yatra will be announced shortly.
The preparations for this year’s Amarnath Yatra formally gathered momentum on Thursday, as the consortium overseeing the annual pilgrimage—an event that draws over half a million devotees from across the globe—announced that the Pratham Puja will be performed in the last week of June.
The ceremonial ritual, traditionally held on Jyeshtha Purnima, a highly auspicious day in the Hindu calendar, is scheduled for June 29 at the sacred Amarnath cave shrine. Perched at an altitude of 13,000 feet (3,882 meters) in the Kashmir Himalayas, the cave marks one of Hinduism’s most revered pilgrimage destinations. A spokesperson for the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) in Jammu said that the formal commencement date of the Yatra will be announced shortly.
The SASB has long observed the tradition of conducting the Pratham Puja on Jyeshtha Purnima to invoke the blessings of Lord Amarnath for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the Yatra.
At its 50th meeting, the Board also approved the establishment of a Laser and Sound Show dedicated to Baba Barfani, to be showcased in both Srinagar and Jammu. According to an official statement, the show aims to serve as a cultural landmark, illuminating the rich spiritual heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha—who also serves as the Chairman of the SASB—cleared several key measures intended to enhance the spiritual experience and logistical convenience of pilgrims. Among the major decisions was the enhancement of accidental insurance coverage for registered pilgrims, service providers, officials, seasonal workers, and pujaris, doubling the amount from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
The Board also reviewed and approved a series of welfare initiatives for SASB employees. The Lt. Governor directed officials to identify suitable locations along the Yatra route for installing additional toilet facilities. He further emphasised the need for more shelter sheds and rain shelters along the tracks to support pilgrims, service providers, and security personnel.
A comprehensive review was undertaken on ongoing projects and essential services, including dissemination of Yatra-related information, insurance for ponies, expansion of online and prepaid services, registration processes, disaster preparedness, medical facilities, langar operations, volunteer support, telecommunication and grid connectivity, weather forecasting systems, security and surveillance infrastructure, digital prepaid systems for hiring services, and installation of crash barriers and safety railings along vulnerable stretches of both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes.
The Board was informed that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has made significant progress in the maintenance, restoration, and development of the Yatra tracks, achieving comfortable track widths on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Chief Executive Officer of the SASB, delivered a detailed presentation on the arrangements being put in place for the upcoming pilgrimage.
The meeting was attended by SASB members Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, Prof. Kailash Mehra Sadhu, K.K. Sharma, K.N. Rai, Mukesh Garg, Dr. Shailesh Raina, Dr. Simridhi Bindroo, Suresh Haware, and Prof. Vishwamurti Shastri.
Senior officials including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo; Additional Chief Secretaries Shaleen Kabra (Jal Shakti) and Shailendra Kumar (Power Development), DGP Nalin Prabhat, Principal Secretary (Home) Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary (Finance) Santosh D. Vaidya; divisional commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, IGPs, deputy commissioners of Ganderbal and Anantnag, the Additional CEO of SASB and senior officers from the UT administration, BRO, and Shrine Board also participated—both in person and virtually—from Lok Bhavan, Jammu.
