Jammu, July 1: Jammu is witnessing a hustle-bustle with heavy rush of Amarnath pilgrims have arrived at the Bhagwati Nagar based Yatri Niwas base camp as Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the first batch here from Thursday.
The 57 days yatra starting from tomorrow will conclude on August 28-on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
The offline registration process also commenced on Wednesday at the Tawi Riverfront Centre.
On Tuesday, thousands of devotees turned out for the token distribution at Tawi Riverfront Centre – established just a few metres short of the Bhagwati Nagar-based Yatri Niwas.
“The registration process started smoothly at the Centre,” said an official.
He said today also tokens were distributed among the pilgrims for both Pahalgam and Baltal routes, adding, “the pilgrims issued tokens and have registered themselves will leave for the pilgrimage tomorrow in the first batch.”
“Only registered pilgrims will be allowed to enter the Yatri Niwas,” they added and said the first batch will be flagged off early in the morning on Thursday.
The 57-day pilgrimage commences simultaneously from the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Moreover, traffic authorities have also issued a fresh advisory regulating movement on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44).
As per the advisory, no movement of Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed from Qazigund towards Jammu and from Jakheni (Udhampur) towards Srinagar after 1900 hours on July 1, 2026.
However, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will be permitted to move till 2300 hours.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the first batch of yatra from Jammu on Thursday morning amid tight security arrangements.
According to Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar in order to ensure a safe, smooth and hassle-free pilgrimage of Amarnath Yatra, the administration has made comprehensive arrangements for the pilgrims in all five districts of Jammu Division where the Yatra route falls with regard to on-spot registration, RFID card, KYC centres, accommodation, langer facility, medical room, sanitation, power and water supply and security arrangements.
He urged the pilgrims to strictly follow the cut-off timings and guidelines issued by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and the District Administrations to ensure a spiritually enriching and convenient experience of Shri Amarnath Yatra-2026.
People who have registered online can receive their RFID cards at Lakhanpur, Chichi Mata Temple, Samba, Jammu Railway Station, Tawi Riverfront or Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas. Pilgrims must complete their e-KYC and collect their RFID tags from these centres before entering the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas by 10 PM a day before departing for Pahalgam or Baltal Base camps in the Yatra convoy under proper security protocol, he said.
In Jammu, the main registration centre is established at Tawi Riverfront with proper facilities.
The Divisional Commissioner further said that accommodation for approximately 55,000 pilgrims has been made across the Jammu division and a total of 2100 toilets have been set up for pilgrims at accommodation centres, yatri niwas, halt points and along the National Highway-44.