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LG to flag off first batch of Amarnath yatris on Thursday, offline registration begins
The lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, will flag off the first batch of Amarnath Yatris from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp amid unprecedented security arrangements on Thursday morning around 4 am, said officials.
The lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, will flag off the first batch of Amarnath Yatris from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp amid unprecedented security arrangements on Thursday morning around 4 am, said officials.
Divisional commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar stated that the LG, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), would flag off the first batch of pilgrims for Pahalgam and Baltal axis, from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Thursday at 4 am.
He said that fool-proof arrangements were put in place for a hassle-free annual pilgrimage.
“The divisional and district administrations and the police besides other security agencies are fully geared up to ensure safe, smooth, incident-free yatra, offering a spiritually blissful experience to the pilgrims. All desired arrangements, including logistics and security, were made in all five districts (part of the yatra route) of the division,” Kumar said.
Jammu deputy commissioner Rakesh Minhas reviewed the arrangements with regard to on-spot registration that started at various registration centers in the temple city.
Kumar also urged the pilgrims to strictly follow the cut-off timings and guidelines issued by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and the district administrations to ensure a spiritually enriching and convenient experience.
On Monday, the LG performed the traditional ‘Pratham Puja’ at the holy Amarnath cave shrine, marking the ceremonial start of the annual pilgrimage.
The 57-day-long yatra that would officially begin from July 3 shall conclude on August 28, on the day of Raksha Bandhan.
IGP, Jammu zone, BS Tuti, said that all the security arrangements on NH-44 right from Lakhanpur to Jammu and up to Banihal in Ramban district have been put in place.
On Monday, Tuti along with Jammu divisional commissioner Ramesh Kumar and other senior officers had conducted a successful dry run of the yatra convoy from the Yatri Niwas base camp in Bhagwati Nagar to Ramban district.
For the Amarnath Yatra, the government has deployed 670 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Army, CRPF, J&K Police, CISF, SSB and other forces have been stationed across the region.
In 2025, over 4 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine which was held for 38 days immediately after the Pahalgam terror attack. From 2022 to 2024, the number of yatris had shown an upward trend with 5.1 lakh footfall in 2024. The number of pilgrims in 2023 was 4.45 lakh and 3.65 lakh in 2022.
The offline registration for the annual Yatra began on Wednesday, with hundreds of devotees gathering at designated registration centres in Jammu.
Nearly four lakh devotees have already registered online for this year’s pilgrimage.
Hundreds of pilgrims lined up outside registration centres from the early hours of Wednesday to obtain their passes.
Registration and token distribution counters have been established along the Tawi riverfront near the Jammu Artificial Lake, Geeta Bhawan, Ram Mandir and Bhagwati Nagar.
