The annual Amarnath Yatra 2026 continues to witness an overwhelming response from devotees, with thousands of pilgrims visiting the sacred Amarnath Cave Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir to seek the blessings of Baba Barfani, the naturally formed ice Shivling believed to represent Lord Shiva.
Third batch of Amarnath pilgrims departs
As the pilgrimage gathered pace, the third batch of pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu under tight security arrangements. The third batch of 4,812 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims departed on Saturday, heading to the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The batch included 966 women, 244 sadhus, and 157 sadhvis. More than 12,000 devotees offered prayers on the yatra's opening day, with 13,499 pilgrims having left Jammu since July 2.
The convoy, comprising hundreds of vehicles carrying devotees, left in the early hours for the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district.
Tight security arrangements
The Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), along with the Jammu and Kashmir administration, has made extensive arrangements to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims. Multi-layered security, medical camps, RFID tracking, weather monitoring, accommodation facilities, and langars have been set up along both routes.
Despite the challenging mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather conditions, devotees from across India continue to undertake the spiritually significant journey with great enthusiasm. Many pilgrims described the darshan of the holy ice Shivling as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, expressing gratitude for the smooth arrangements.
About Amarnath
The Amarnath Yatra is one of Hinduism's most revered pilgrimages and is held annually during the Shravan month. The naturally occurring ice formation inside the cave waxes and wanes with the lunar cycle and is worshipped as a manifestation of Lord Shiva.
