Amarnath Yatra 2026 sees thousands of pilgrims depart amid tight security

The annual Amarnath Yatra 2026 began on July 3 and will run for 57 days until August 28. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from Jammu and has since reviewed security and logistical arrangements at the Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps.

By July 6 the fourth convoy of more than 6,700 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar camp, bringing the total number of devotees who have departed for the shrine to 20,220. Within the first three days of the pilgrimage, over 56,000 pilgrims had already visited the 3,880‑metre‑high Amarnath cave, travelling via the 14‑km Baltal and 48‑km Pahalgam routes.

Authorities have deployed digital surveillance, RFID tracking, and a 24 × 7 emergency response camp along the Jammu‑Srinagar highway. Police, the State Disaster Response Force and Home Guard personnel provide round‑the‑clock security. Medical preparedness includes 16 mobile teams, a 100‑bed base hospital at Chandanwari, and mini‑hospitals equipped with ECG machines, nebulisers and cardiac monitors, staffed by about 75 health workers.

The administration has warned unregistered devotees to postpone travel; from July 9 only pilgrims with valid registration will be allowed to proceed, and daily caps at both base camps remain fixed to ensure safety and smooth movement.