Over 2.75 Lakh Devotees Complete Amarnath Yatra as Fresh Batch of 5,335 Pilgrims Leaves Jammu

Srinagar, July 2026 : The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 has witnessed an overwhelming response from devotees, with more than 2.75 lakh pilgrims offering prayers at the holy cave shrine in the first 11 days of the pilgrimage. On Tuesday, another batch of 5,335 yatris departed from Jammu for Kashmir amid elaborate security and logistical arrangements, taking the total number of pilgrims participating in the pilgrimage close to the three-lakh mark.

Officials said that the latest batch left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in two heavily escorted convoys during the early hours of Tuesday. Of the total pilgrims, 3,599 are heading towards the traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam base camp, while 1,736 are travelling to the shorter Baltal route before beginning their trek to the holy cave shrine.

On Monday alone, 24,259 devotees had darshan at the revered shrine, located in the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,880 metres above sea level. The pilgrimage, which commenced on July 3, has continued smoothly despite challenging terrain and unpredictable weather conditions, thanks to extensive arrangements made by the administration and security agencies.

Meanwhile, an accident involving the Yatra convoy on Monday morning briefly disrupted movement along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The incident occurred near the Chanderkote Langar site in Ramban district when a Pahalgam-bound bus suffered a brake failure at around 7.20 a.m.

According to officials, the bus bearing registration number JK01Y-1044 rammed into another convoy bus (JK01Y-1052) before colliding with a parked car (JK21K-8115). The collision damaged all three vehicles and left 18 pilgrims with minor injuries, while the driver of the bus sustained serious injuries.

Rescue and relief operations were launched immediately by the district administration and police personnel already deployed along the Yatra route. Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police Arun Gupta, SSP National Highway Raja Adil Hamid, and Additional Deputy Commissioner Varunjeet Singh Charak supervised the evacuation and ensured prompt medical assistance to the injured pilgrims.

Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Ramban, Dr. Sudarshan Singh Katoch, confirmed that all 18 pilgrims sustained only minor injuries and were treated with first aid before being discharged. The driver of the bus remained hospitalised due to serious injuries.

The injured pilgrims were identified as Harsh Rajput (23), Vishal Gupta (18), and Pankaj Sonkar (23) from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh; Suhas Jeevan Mourade (29) from Maharashtra; Pawan Kumar (57), Keran (48), Vinod Kumar (54), Bharat Bhushan (45), and Ganga Singh (41) from Rajasthan; Sima (60) from Punjab; Byas Shan (38), Virender Shan (43), Bijli Sahani (50), Shiv Balak (27), Babita Devi (32), Birbal (29), and Tara Chand Saini (35) from Bihar; and Sandeep Kumar (37) from Uttar Pradesh. All the injured pilgrims resumed their journey after receiving medical treatment.

The district administration arranged alternate vehicles to transport the affected pilgrims to the holy shrine without further delay. Authorities swiftly cleared the damaged vehicles from the highway, restored traffic movement, and ensured the Yatra convoy continued safely towards its destination.

The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is one of India’s largest annual pilgrimages and is being conducted under multi-layered security with thousands of personnel deployed along both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. Medical camps, disaster response teams, communication facilities and emergency services have also been strengthened to ensure the safety and convenience of devotees.

The 57-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

Located at an altitude of 3,880 metres in the Kashmir Himalayas, the sacred Amarnath cave is revered for its naturally formed ice stalagmite, believed by millions of devotees to symbolize Lord Shiva. The ice formation waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, attracting lakhs of pilgrims from across the country every year.