Amarnath Yatra 2026: Over 1.60 lakh devotees visit Amarnath cave shrine; fresh batch of 8,796 pilgrims leaves Jammu

More than 160 lakh devotees have paid obeisance at the holy Amarnath cave shrine since the commencement of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra SANJY2026 on July 3 while another batch of 8796 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the Kashmir Valley on FridayOfficials said the ninth batch of pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu in escorted convoys bound for the Baltal and Pahalgam base campsNearly 9000 pilgrims depart from JammuOf the total pilgrims who left on Friday 3350 yatris travelled in an escorted convoy to the Baltal base camp at 242 am while 5346 pilgrims departed for the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam at 324 amThe batch comprised 6426 men 2042 women 228 sadhus 10 children 33 foreign male pilgrims and one transgender devoteeA total of 354 vehicles were deployed for the convoy including 175 buses 70 medium motor vehicles MMVs 106 light motor vehicles LMVs and three twowheelers Of these 173 vehicles were assigned to the Baltal route and 181 to the Pahalgam routeLt Governor reviews arrangementsJammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Pantha Chowk Yatri Camp on the outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday to review arrangements for the pilgrimageldquoThe figures from the past week reveal that this yearrsquos Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra has witnessed a greater number of devotees compared to last year This surge is not only a blessing for our spiritual heritage but also a positive sign for tourism in Jammu and Kashmir giving fresh momentum to the local economyrdquo Sinha saidHighlighting the regionrsquos traditional crafts the Lieutenant Governor said he wanted Jammu and Kashmirrsquos handicrafts and handloom products to reach households across the country through visiting pilgrimsldquoI want the rich handicrafts and handloom products of Jammu and Kashmir to travel across the country and this unique heritage should find a place in every devoteersquos home This will honour our artisans and strengthen the spirit of the One District One Product campaign weaving together faith culture and prosperityrdquo he saidFocus on crowd management and vigilanceSinha praised the coordinated efforts of the district administration line departments the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board police security forces and other stakeholders involved in managing the pilgrimageHe stressed the need for close coordination and vigilance to ensure effective crowd management a smooth registration process and timely dissemination of information to pilgrimsThe Lieutenant Governor also directed authorities to take strict legal action against those involved in fraudulent registration practicesFour teachers suspended over fake registrationsIn a major development four local teachers were suspended and taken into police custody after an FIR was registered against them for allegedly facilitating fraudulent registrations of pilgrims at the Manigam transit camp in Ganderbal districtAccording to officials the accused teachers allegedly collected large sums of money in exchange for fake registrationsAuthorities have enhanced vigilance at all transit camps and both base camps to ensure that the incident remains an isolated case and does not affect the ongoing pilgrimageAbout the Amarnath YatraDevotees undertake the pilgrimage to the 3880metrehigh cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas through either the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal routePilgrims travelling via the Pahalgam route generally take four days to reach the shrine while those using the Baltal route can complete the journey and return to the base camp on the same day after offering prayersThe cave shrine houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite which devotees believe symbolises Lord Shiva The formation grows and recedes in sync with the phases of the moonThe 56day Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 will conclude on August 28 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha BandhanWith IANS inputs