Jammu: The holy Shri Amarnath Yatra 2026 formally commenced on Thursday. The first batch of pilgrims left for the darshan of Baba Barfani from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu at around 4 am.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the pilgrimage for the pilgrims. Chants of "Bam Bam Bhole" and "Har Har Mahadev" filled the entire complex with a devotional atmosphere.

This year's 57-day Amarnath Yatra will run from July 3 to August 28 (Raksha Bandhan). Pilgrims will reach the holy cave via both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. The first batch included only those pilgrims who had pre-registered online, obtained RFID cards, and completed the e-KYC process.

According to the administration, nearly four lakh pilgrims have already registered for the pilgrimage this year. All necessary arrangements, including security, health, transportation, accommodation, drinking water, and help desks, have been made to ensure a safe and smooth journey.

Additional security forces have been deployed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the entire Yatra route is being monitored from the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC).

Meanwhile, the enthusiasm of devotees for the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is steadily increasing. As of July 1st, more than 1.45 million pilgrims have visited Badrinath and more than 1.375 million have visited Kedarnath.

The number of devotees visiting Badrinath has increased rapidly since the third week of June and has now surpassed Kedarnath.

The administration has appealed to the devotees to follow all weather and safety related guidelines and to travel as per the prescribed rules.