Amarnath Yatra Commences with First Pilgrims Departing

The annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage commenced on Friday, July 3, 2026, as the first groups of devotees began their trek from the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam towards the sacred cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The 57-day pilgrimage, which will conclude on August 28, formally began with the departure of pilgrims from the Kashmir Valley base camps early Friday morning, following the flag-off of the first major batch from Jammu a day earlier.

On Thursday, July 2, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first convoy of pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. That initial batch consisted of 4,809 pilgrims, according to officials, who traveled in a convoy of 259 vehicles escorted along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The pilgrims reached the Kashmir Valley later that day. Officials reported that 2,510 pilgrims from that batch opted for the traditional 48-kilometer Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, while 2,312 chose the shorter, steeper 14-kilometer Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The group included 3,707 men, 816 women, 16 children, 246 sadhus, and 37 sadhvis.

Authorities have implemented extensive security and...