Amarnath Yatra: Fourth Batch of 6,700+ Pilgrims Leaves Jammu, Total Crosses 20,000
A fresh batch of over 6,700 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu early on Sunday, July 5, 2026, for the Amarnath shrine in the South Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The pilgrims are travelling under tight security arrangements.
The batch included 1,310 women and 22 children. They left in two separate convoys at 3 a.m. and 3.40 a.m., respectively, the officials added.
This is the fourth batch of pilgrims to leave Jammu for Kashmir since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the yatra. With this, the total number of pilgrims who have left the Jammu base camp for the valley has reached 20,220.
The annual 57-day Amarnath Yatra, which began on July 3, has already seen over 26,000 pilgrims offer prayers at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in the first two days. The pilgrimage is being conducted via two routes: the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
Officials said the first convoy, carrying 2,590 pilgrims in 152 vehicles, left for the Baltal base camp, while the second convoy, comprising 4,131 pilgrims in 139 vehicles, proceeded to the Pahalgam base camp.
Due to an unprecedented influx of devotees, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday urged unregistered pilgrims to postpone their journey by a few days, stating that all registration slots are booked until July 9. From Sunday onwards, only registered pilgrims will be permitted to proceed to Kashmir, with unregistered devotees being stopped at designated checkpoints until fresh quotas become available.
The yatra is being conducted with multi-agency security measures, including mock drills focused on potential threats such as suicide attacks and natural calamities, to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
