New Delhi: Pilgrims began arriving at the Yatri Transit Camp in Srinagar ahead of the first batch of the annual Amarnath Yatra on Wednesday, even as on-the-spot registration and RFID card issuance commenced in Jammu, with authorities confirming that all preparations for the pilgrimage’s first batch have been completed.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is scheduled to flag off the first batch of pilgrims, marking the formal start of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026.
In Jammu, devotees expressed excitement as the registration process began.
Speaking to IANS, a pilgrim said, “I am very excited; I did not expect that I would get a chance in the first batch…”
Officials said the on-the-spot registration and RFID issuance process is being carried out in a streamlined manner to ensure smooth movement of pilgrims.
Meanwhile, token distribution for the annual Amarnath Yatra began on Tuesday at the Tawi River Front in Jammu city ahead of the official registration process scheduled on Wednesday.
The administration has set up 10 token distribution counters at the venue to manage the rush of pilgrims. A total of 1,600 tokens were issued on the first day, with 800 allocated for the Pahalgam route and 800 for the Baltal route.
Officials said pilgrims who received tokens on Tuesday will complete their registration from Wednesday before proceeding on the holy pilgrimage.
“Token holders undergo e-KYC and RFID registration the day following token issuance,” officials said, adding that the system has been designed to ensure transparency and crowd management.
Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place at the Tawi River Front to ensure safe distribution of tokens. Security personnel have been deployed across the area, with authorities closely monitoring the process.
For the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY) 2026, the Jammu district administration has established 18 on-the-spot registration and token counters across key locations, including the Tawi Riverfront Centre, Geeta Bhawan, Ram Mandir (Purani Mandi), Bhagwati Nagar, and the Railway Station.
Officials said token generation begins daily at 6:00 a.m., with each pilgrim required to stand in line individually, and one token issued per eligible person.
The Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 3 and conclude on August 28, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals.
The holy cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 metres in the Anantnag district of the Kashmir Himalayas, houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite believed by devotees to symbolise Lord Shiva.
Pilgrims undertake the journey either via the longer Pahalgam route, which takes around four days to reach the shrine, or the shorter Baltal route, which allows a same-day return after darshan.
The ice stalagmite formation inside the cave is believed to wax and wane with the phases of the moon, drawing thousands of devotees each year for the annual pilgrimage.
(IANS)
