Jammu: Amid multi-tier security setup, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on July 2. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake a pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir Himalayas.
LG Sinha will flag off the batch of pilgrims early Thursday morning. The 57-day pilgrimage to the cave shrine will commence from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal — on July 3. It will conclude on Raksha Bandhan on August 28. Separate escorted convoys will proceed to the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal, from where pilgrims will begin their trek to the holy cave shrine on July 3.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), will flag off the first convoy at 4 am, officials said.
“As of now, arrangements have been made to accommodate around 55,000 pilgrims across the Jammu division. Comprehensive arrangements have been made for all pilgrims arriving in the Jammu division, including facilities for accommodation, food and sanitation, so that no pilgrim faces any inconvenience,” Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar told reporters here. He said that the Yatra will formally commence from the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam on Friday.
A multi-tier security setup has been activated in and around the Bhagwati Nagar base camp and a convoy carrying pilgrims, which will leave Jammu for Kashmir, will be fully guarded by CRPF troops with area domination being done by Army and police.
On-the-spot registration for pilgrims will commence on Wednesday at the Tawi River Front in Jammu, where the registration centre has been shifted to minimise inconvenience to city residents. Tokens have already been distributed, and registration will be carried out according to the daily quota fixed by the Shrine Board, Kumar said.
Mandatory RFID cards for security and tracking will be issued at designated centres, including Jammu Railway Station, Bhagwati Nagar, Tawi River Front, Udhampur Railway Station, Chanderkote, Banihal, Lakhanpur and Samba. Pilgrims who have completed online registration and e-KYC verification have been advised to collect their RFID cards before proceeding to the base camp. “Separate registration facilities have been established for sadhus at Geeta Bhawan and Purani Mandi temple, while general pilgrims will be registered at the Tawi River Front and Mahajan Sabha,” Kumar said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, Bhim Sen Tuti, said arrangements for healthcare, transport and security had also been put in place to ensure a safe and hassle-free pilgrimage. “The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is an annual event. Every year, extensive security arrangements are made for the pilgrimage, and this year we are making efforts to provide an even stronger security cover than before,” Tuti said.
He said pilgrims reaching Lakhanpur between 6 am and 8 am would be escorted to Jammu under security cover, while those arriving after 8 am would have to halt there due to security restrictions. “Pilgrims have been directed to travel only on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Movement on alternative routes, including the Mughal Road and Dhar Road, will not be permitted for Yatra traffic in view of security considerations,” he said.
The IGP said mini-convoys would also operate between Udhampur and Banihal under a fixed schedule. “Pilgrims have been advised to adhere to the cut-off timings notified by the traffic department, which may revise the schedule depending on weather or road conditions,” he said.
Accommodation centres have been set up from Lakhanpur to Banihal, including government-run lodging facilities, temporary shelters and accommodation arranged with the support of civil society organisations, Kumar said.
Meanwhile the Lakhanpur Yatri Facilitation Centre is ready to welcome Shri Amarnath Ji yatris with six RFID issuance counters and 12 eKYC counters for speedy processing, along with 1,000-capacity waterproof hangers offering dedicated space for stay, rest and recreational activities.
A 24×7 Information Helpdesk with a wide colour display screen has been set up, where teams from the Information, Tourism and Traffic departments will assist yatris with travel advisories, yatra updates and route information. Additionally, 35 lodgement centres have been kept operational to accommodate around 10,000 yatris in case of any exigency.
The Kathua administration will receive and dispatch yatris from Lakhanpur on July 1, 2026 for their onward journey to the base camp at Jammu. The first batch is scheduled to be dispatched from Jammu on July 2, 2026 and will perform darshan at the Shri Amarnath Ji shrine on July 3, 2026.
