Amarnath Pilgrims

Authorities in Jammu review plan to enhance facilities for Amarnath Yatra

Authorities in Jammu have reviewed a development plan to enhance civic amenities for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Tuesday. The review focused on improving infrastructure and sanitation to ensure a smooth experience for thousands of devotees expected to participate in the annual pilgrimage to the revered 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, they said. The 38-day yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3 from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The first batch of pilgrims will leave the Jammu base camp on July 2. Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, chaired a meeting to review the development plan for augmentation of civic amenities and renovation work for the yatra en route Jammu division, an official spokesperson said. He said the meeting, attended by senior officers of various departments here on Monday, discuss

Pahalgam attack: Amarnath yatra under cloud as terror grips Valley

9,000 register for Amarnath Yatra in 10 days, but first dropouts already in, according to tour operators

Amarnath Yatra 2025: How to apply online or offline, check details

The registration for the Hindu pilgrimage to the sacred Amarnath Cave in Jammu and Kashmir is now open. Thousands of people participate in this spiritually important yatra every year

Chardham route to be split into zones for better pilgrimage management

The Chardham yatra route has been classified into 15 super zones, 41 zones and 137 sectors for better management of the annual pilgrimage to the four famed Himalayan temples of Uttarakhand, a senior police official said on Saturday. Inspector General (IG) Garhwal Swaroop on Saturday said more than 6,000 personnel will be deployed along the route to monitor security and transportation arrangements. Every sector will be spread over a 10-kilometre area, where security personnel will conduct patrolling and perform other duties round the clock, said IG Swaroop, who has been appointed nodal officer for the yatra. A control room, headed by Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Lokjeet Singh, is being set up at the range office, the IG said, adding that he will personally monitor the security arrangements, traffic, crowd and disaster management preparations. The Chardham yatra is scheduled to begin on April 30, with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples. Kerdarnath will open on Ma

Over 86,000 elderly benefit from Delhi's 'Teerth Yojana', Rameshwaram tops

Over 86,000 elderly citizens have undertaken pilgrimage under Delhi's Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra Yojana (MMTY) since July 2019, with Rameshwaram being the most visited destination. Pilgrims travelled to various religious sites, including Rameshwaram, Dwarkadhish, Jagannath Puri, Tirupati, Shirdi, Ayodhya, Ujjain, Katra (Jammu), Amritsar, and Ajmer, according to a written reply by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to a question by MLA Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat. CM Gupta also holds the portfolio of revenue. From 2019 to 2024, 92 trains were operated under the scheme. Among these, 29 trains went to Rameshwaram, 25 to Dwarkadhish, eight to Jagannath Puri, six to Tirupati, four to Amritsar, one to Ajmer, and the remaining to other locations. The Delhi Assembly provided details on the scheme's execution, covering destinations, facilities, and ongoing evaluations. The scheme, operational since January 9, 2018, offers free pilgrimage travel to eligible beneficiaries. From July 12, 2019, to Febru

J&K officials chair meeting, review arrangements for Amarnath Yatra 2025

Discussions revolved around key focus areas, including improvements in health services, sanitation, flood protection measures, solar lighting, parking facilities, mobile connectivity, and transport

On the Buddha's trail: Bodhgaya's transformation must prioritise locals

Apart from looking at the economics of it, the aspiration to create a world-class destination must also take into account the perceptions that people have about Bihar in particular, and India at large

Amarnath yatra successful, record 512k pilgrims visited: HM Amit Shah

The pilgrimage to holy shrine of Amarnath was successfully completed and a record number of more than 5.12 lakh pilgrims visited it, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday. The pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine, located at a height of 3,880 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas, started on June 29 and ended on August 19. "The holy pilgrimage of Shri Amarnathji was successfully completed. This year, the holy pilgrimage lasted for 52 days, a record number of more than 5.12 lakh pilgrims visited Baba, which is the highest number in the last 12 years," Shah wrote on 'X' in Hindi. Congratulating all security personnel, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the Jammu and Kashmir administration and voluntary organisations for making the pilgrimage a success, the home minister said, "All of you have made a unique contribution in making the pilgrimage of the pilgrims safe and smooth. May Baba keep his blessings on everyone. Jai Baba Barfani!". The Amarnath pilgrims travel through two route

Local authorities cautions Kedarnath Dham devotees due to heavy rains

Sub-District Magistrate- Due to heavy rains in the month of Sawan, stones may fall on the travel routes at many places, due to which it is not appropriate to travel from the point of view of safety.

Batch of pilgrims leave for Amarnath Yatra in J-K under tight security

The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board organises the Amarnath Yatra, which is divided into two routes: one through Pahalgam and the other through Baltal

Amarnath Yatra 2024: Complete guide for hassle-free and smooth pilgrimage

Amarnath Yatra is one the most auspicious pilgrimage sites for Hindu devotees. The pilgrimage began on June 29 and will conclude on August 19, 2024

Amarnath Yatra: Rain lashes Baltal that serves as pilgrims' camping ground

Conducted by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the Amarnath Yatra has two routes through Pahalgam and via Baltal. Baltal serves as the camping ground for pilgrims

Another batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims departs from Srinagar base camp

This year, the Yatra is taking place in the shadow of recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir

Third batch of 6,600 pilgrims leaves Jammu base camp for Amarnath Yatra

A third batch of 6,619 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu in two separate convoys to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage in the Kashmir Himalayas, officials said on Sunday. About 14,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine located at a height of 3,880 metres on the first day of the 52-day annual yatra, which commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on Saturday, the officials said. The third batch, including 1,141 women, left in 319 vehicles between 3:50 am and 4:45 am amid tight security. It was raining in Jammu when the pilgrims left for Kashmir, the officials said, adding that 3,838 devotees opted for the Pahalgam route while 2,781 were heading for Baltal to perform the yatra. With this, a total of 13,103 pilgrims left the Jammu base camp for the Valley since June 28 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. The pilgrimage will conclude on August 19. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims pa

Amid tight security, over 13,000 pilgrims visit Amarnath on Day 1 of yatra

More than 13,000 pilgrims visited the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Saturday, the first day of the annual pilgrimage in the south Kashmir Himalayas that is being conducted amid tight security. The first batch of pilgrims had left the twin base camps in Baltal and Nunwan to start their journey to the cave shrine located at an altitude of 3,880 metres. Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted pilgrims at the start of the Amarnath Yatra, saying the 'darshan' of Lord Shiva is known to infuse immense energy in his followers. "My heartfelt best wishes to all pilgrims on the commencement of the holy Amarnath Yatra. This Yatra associated with the darshan of Baba Barfani infuses immense energy in the devotees of Lord Shiva. May all devotees prosper with his blessings. Jai Baba Barfani, the prime ministe said in a post on X in Hindi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the Modi government is committed to ensuring a safe, smooth and pleasant pilgrimage to the cave shrine. "Shri Amarnat

First batch of Amarnath Yatra with over 4,600 pilgrims reach Kashmir valley

The first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra reached the Kashmir valley on Friday amid stringent security arrangements, officials said. After their arrival in Srinagar, senior officials in police and civil administration, and local people welcomed the 4,603 pilgrims at the Navyug tunnel in Qazigund area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, they added. The 52-day pilgrimage will begin from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal -- on Saturday and conclude on August 19. Amid chants of "Bum Bum Bhole" and "Har Har Mahadev", Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch from the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu early Friday morning. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha wished the pilgrims a safe journey. "May the blessings of Baba Amarnath ji bring peace, happiness and prosperity to everyone's life," he said. They reached Srinagar in a cavalcade of 231 li

Amarnath Yatra 2024: Check routes, security, do's & don'ts and more

The 52-day-long Amarnath pilgrimage to South Kashmir is starting from June 29. The J&K administration has issued guidelines for smooth and secure pilgrimage

First batch of Amarnath yatra to leave Jammu on Jun 28 amid tight security

Amid multi-tier security escort, the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims will depart for twin base camps in Kashmir from Jammu on Friday, marking the beginning of this year's pilgrimage from here. The comprehensive arrangements, including three-tier security, area dominations, elaborate route deployment and checkpoints have been put in place for a smooth yatra. The 52-day pilgrimage will commence from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal -- on June 29. The yatra will conclude on August 19. "The first batch of the yatra will leave Jammu base camp at Bhagwati Nagar for Kashmir at 0400 hours in the morning of Friday," a senior officer told PTI. He said the yatra will be flagged off by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from Yatri Niwas amid high security arrangements. "Traffic restrictions will be imposed on various routes from June 28 to August 19, with daily advisories issue

21 killed, 47 injured as bus carrying pilgrims falls into gorge in Jammu

Seven people were killed and 25 injured after a bus carrying pilgrims skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Jammu district on Thursday, officials said. The accident took place at the Tangli morh in the Choki Chora belt of the district, they said, adding that the bus rolled around 150 feet down into the gorge. Seven people were killed and 25 injured, the officials said. The vehicle was carrying pilgrims from the Kurukshetra area of Haryana to the Shiv Khori area in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, they added. Earlier, the officials had said the accident had taken place in Rajouri district. A rescue operation involving police and locals has been launched and the injured have been shifted to the Akhnoor hospital and Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu, the officials said.

Forces deployed at Char Dham to ensure pilgrims' safety: Uttarakhand DGP

Uttarakhand DGP also appealed to pilgrims to take extra precautions during the yatra as many tourists coming from outside do not have experience of hill driving