Record Amarnath Yatra convoy departs Jammu with 8,815 devotees

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Jammu, July 7

The largest batch of pilgrims to join this year’s Amarnath Yatra left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Tuesday, with 8,815 devotees setting out for the holy cave shrine under heightened security arrangements.

The latest convoy included 31 foreign nationals and marked the biggest single-day departure since the annual pilgrimage began on July 2. More than 93,000 pilgrims have already offered prayers at the cave shrine during the first four days of the Yatra, with the overall footfall expected to cross the one lakh mark shortly.

Officials said the convoy was divided between the two approved routes to the shrine. A total of 3,989 pilgrims travelled towards the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district, while 4,826 pilgrims proceeded via the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district. Altogether, 363 vehicles were deployed for Tuesday’s movement.

The departure surpassed the previous highest daily turnout of 6,721 pilgrims recorded on Sunday, reflecting the growing participation in the annual pilgrimage.

The 57-day Amarnath Yatra, which commenced on July 2, is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has appealed to unregistered devotees to defer their journey for a few days, as all registration slots remain fully booked until July 9 due to heavy pilgrim traffic.

Authorities have also clarified that only registered pilgrims will be allowed to proceed towards Kashmir, while those without valid registration will be stopped at designated checkpoints until additional registration slots become available.