57-day Amarnath pilgrimage from July 3; registrations from April 15

NEW DELHI: The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir will begin on 3 July and conclude on 28 August, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced, with this year’s Yatra set to run for 57 days.The schedule was finalised at a meeting of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), chaired by Sinha. Addressing reporters, he said the pilgrimage would end on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. “The pilgrimage will begin on July 3rd and conclude on Rakshabandhan on August 28th… it will span 57 days. The Pratham Puja will be held on Jyeshtha Purnima,” he said.Registration for the Yatra will open from 15 April and has been made mandatory. Pilgrims aged between 13 and 70 years will be eligible to undertake the journey. Advance registration will be available both online and offline, with facilities set up at more than 550 designated bank branches across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Yes Bank.Sinha said participation in the pilgrimage has steadily increased in recent years, pointing to improved infrastructure and facilities. To enhance safety, RFID cards will be compulsory for all pilgrims, while group accidental insurance cover has been doubled from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.He also outlined key infrastructure upgrades, including widened tracks along both the Baltal and Nunwan routes, improved bridges, and strengthened disaster response systems with the deployment of mountain rescue teams and security personnel. The pilgrimage will proceed along the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, with authorities preparing for a large turnout of devotees this year.