Amarnath Yatra – Record Pilgrim Batch Leaves Jammu for Kashmir Shrine
Amarnath Yatra – The biggest group of pilgrims to leave Jammu for the Amarnath Yatra this year began its journey on Tuesday, with 8,815 devotees departing from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp under extensive security arrangements. The group included 31 foreign nationals travelling to the revered cave shrine in Kashmir.
The annual pilgrimage has drawn a strong turnout in its opening days. More than 93,000 devotees had offered prayers at the cave shrine, located at an altitude of around 3,880 metres in the south Himalayan region, during the first four days of the yatra. Officials said the number was likely to cross one lakh later in the day.
Largest Convoy Since the Pilgrimage Began
According to officials, the sixth batch included 5,831 male pilgrims, 2,193 women, 31 children, 598 sadhus, 131 sadhvis and 31 foreign visitors. The convoy was the largest to depart from Jammu since the yatra began on July 2.
Of the total pilgrims, 3,989 devotees travelled in 181 vehicles towards the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district. Another 4,826 pilgrims left in 182 vehicles for the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district. In all, the convoy consisted of 363 vehicles moving towards Kashmir.
With the latest departure, the number of pilgrims who have left the Jammu base camp since the beginning of the pilgrimage has reached 34,829.
Devotees Praise Arrangements at Bhagwati Nagar Camp
The Bhagwati Nagar camp witnessed a devotional atmosphere as pilgrims prepared for the journey. Chants praising Lord Shiva and the holy shrine were heard across the base camp before the vehicles began their onward movement.
Several devotees said they were satisfied with the facilities and arrangements made for the pilgrimage. Security personnel and officials have been deployed along the route to manage the large movement of pilgrims and ensure the journey continues smoothly.
Tuesday’s convoy surpassed the previous highest departure of 6,721 pilgrims recorded on Sunday. Earlier, 5,794 devotees had left Jammu on Monday, while 4,812 pilgrims had departed on July 4.
Registration Slots Booked Until July 9
The 57-day Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. The pilgrimage is being conducted through the Baltal and Pahalgam routes, with thousands of devotees arriving in Jammu each day before proceeding towards the Kashmir Valley.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has advised unregistered devotees to postpone their travel plans for a few days. Authorities said all available registration slots have been booked until July 9 because of the heavy rush of pilgrims.
Officials have clarified that only registered devotees will be allowed to continue towards Kashmir. Those without valid registration will be stopped at designated checkpoints until additional registration quotas are released.