SRINAGAR: The ninth batch of Shri Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, comprising 8,796 devotees, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu on Friday for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam amid multi-layered security arrangements, officials said.
According to officials, the pilgrims departed early in the morning in a convoy of 354 vehicles, including light and heavy motor vehicles. Of the total, 3,450 pilgrims were headed for the Baltal route, while 5,346 were bound for the Pahalgam base camp.
The convoy was escorted under a comprehensive security grid, with coordinated arrangements made by the civil administration, Jammu and Kashmir Police, security forces and the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) to ensure the pilgrimage is conducted safely, securely and smoothly.
Officials said that with the departure of the ninth batch, the annual pilgrimage continues to witness a strong response from devotees across the country. They added that 1,71,501 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy Amarnath Cave Shrine during the first seven days of the Yatra.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has urged devotees to undertake the pilgrimage only after obtaining confirmed registration and to travel on their allotted date, reiterating that no unregistered pilgrim will be allowed to proceed to the Baltal or Pahalgam base camps.
The 57-day Shri Amarnath Yatra 2026 commenced on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 28. Organised by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the annual pilgrimage leads devotees to the holy cave shrine, situated at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, with the pilgrimage traditionally culminating on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan).
