Over 12,340 pilgrims offered darshan at the Amarnath cave shrine on the first day of the 57-day-long Amarnath Yatra 2026 on Friday, 4 July, as a third batch of more than 4,800 devotees departed from Jammu for the twin base camps on Saturday morning. The annual pilgrimage, officially designated SAJY-2026, is scheduled to conclude on 28 August 2026, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

Day 1 at the Holy Cave

Yatris arrived at the sacred shrine via the twin base camps of Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam), filling the mountain air with chants of 'Bam Bam Bhole', 'Har Har Mahadev', and 'Jai Barfani Baba'. The cave area experienced partially cloudy skies with light drizzle in the early hours, but the pilgrimage proceeded without disruption. Footfall was slow during the morning and picked up significantly after noon, continuing well into the evening.

Third Batch Departs Under Tight Security

The third batch of over 4,800 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu on Saturday in two escorted convoys bound for Nunwan and Baltal. Authorities have activated multi-layered security arrangements along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, both Baltal and Pahalgam tracks, and the shrine itself. A multi-tier security setup is also in place at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas and at the Tawi riverfront, where Tatkal (on-spot) registration and token distribution are ongoing.

Administration Issues Travel Advisory

The Jammu and Kashmir UT administration on Saturday issued a formal advisory directing all Amarnath pilgrims to travel strictly on their registered date. The advisory stated that no pilgrim will be permitted to undertake the Yatra before their assigned travel date. It noted that many registered pilgrims have been arriving in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of schedule, creating congestion at registration points.

'Compliance with this daily ceiling limit is mandatory for the safety of pilgrims and for the smooth conduct of the Yatra,' the advisory read. The daily cap on pilgrims has been fixed as directed by the Supreme Court of India.

Tatkal Slots Scarce; Advance Registration Urged

Officials confirmed that Tatkal registration slots are extremely limited, as most pilgrims have already completed advance registrations through bank branches across the country and online channels. The administration appealed to unregistered pilgrims arriving in Jammu and Kashmir to wait for their assigned turn rather than seeking on-spot slots. 'It is not possible to accommodate thousands of pilgrims arriving without registration under the Tatkal facility,' the advisory stated.

While pilgrims have largely praised the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) and the UT administration for logistical arrangements, some devotees suggested increasing the number of Tatkal registration counters to handle the heavy daily rush arriving from across the country.

What's Next

With the pilgrimage running for 57 days through 28 August 2026, authorities are expected to manage a significantly larger cumulative footfall. The administration has assured that every registered pilgrim will be given the opportunity to undertake the Yatra, provided prescribed procedures and daily capacity limits are respected.