SRINAGAR: Undeterred by heavy rain and a heightened security environment following the April Pahalgam massacre, a fresh batch of 6,979 pilgrims departed from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp early Saturday morning, continuing their spiritual journey to the Amarnath cave shrine nestled in the Himalayas of south Kashmir.
The fourth batch, which includes 5,196 men, 1,427 women, 24 children, 331 sadhus and sadhvis, and one transgender devotee, left between 3.30 am and 4.05 am in two tightly escorted convoys. With this latest group, over 24,500 pilgrims have set out from Jammu since the 38-day annual pilgrimage began on July 3.
The yatra has seen strong participation, with more than 30,000 devotees completing their pilgrimage in just the first three days.
Pilgrims are choosing between the 46-km traditional route via Pahalgam in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal, both of which lead to the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine believed to house a naturally formed ice lingam of Lord Shiva.
To bolster pilgrim safety, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has deployed 180 additional CAPF companies, supplementing the Army, BSF, CRPF, SSB, and local police units. All transit camps, highways, and tracks are under a multi-layered security grid, and RFID tags are being issued to track every yatri’s movement.
A total of 3.5 lakh pilgrims have registered online, and 12 counters have been opened for spot registration in Jammu. To accommodate the rush, 34 yatri camps have been established across the region.
On Friday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated a newly constructed Yatri Niwas complex at Baltal, built with ONGC’s CSR funding. Similar yatri facilities with dormitories, disaster management systems, sewage plants, and solar-powered infrastructure are nearing completion at Nunwan (Pahalgam), Bijbehara, and Sidhra (Jammu).
The Sidhra centre, a G+5 structure covering 8,500 square metres, is expected to be ready by September 2026, forming part of a 30,955 square metre infrastructure upgrade aimed at modernising the pilgrimage.
The Amarnath Yatra 2025 will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan. Although helicopter services have been suspended this year for security reasons, officials say the footfall has remained robust.
As more yatris continue to arrive and brave the rain and risks, the Amarnath Yatra reaffirms its place as one of India’s most sacred pilgrimages, upheld by strong public faith, resilient infrastructure, and tight security.
