More than 25,000 pilgrims have signed up for this year’s Amarnath Yatra within the first two days of registration, with officials reporting heavy crowds at enrollment centers across Jammu on Thursday.
Registration for the 57-day pilgrimage opened on April 15, prompting a strong turnout both at designated bank branches and on online portals. According to officials, 19,402 devotees registered on the very first day.
Long lines formed outside Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Punjab National Bank branches, where pilgrims chanted religious slogans as they awaited their turn.
The revered cave shrine, located at an elevation of 3,880 meters in southern Kashmir, will be accessible via the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The annual pilgrimage is set to begin on July 3 and will end on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
In preparation, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo chaired a high-level meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) on Thursday to assess readiness for a smooth yatra. He set a June 20 deadline for the completion of essential facilities.
The meeting, attended by senior civil and police officers, reviewed preparations across various sectors, with a special focus on ensuring uninterrupted movement of pilgrims along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and both yatra routes. Dulloo instructed all departments to boost infrastructure in anticipation of a higher number of devotees this year.
