Amarnath Yatra begins as pilgrims set out from Baltal, Nunwan base camps

The annual Amarnath Yatra started on Thursday (July 3, 2025) with the primary batches of pilgrims setting off from the dual base camps in Baltal and Nunwan in the direction of the 3880-metre-high cave shrine within the south Kashmir Himalayas, which homes a naturally fashioned ice-lingam, officers stated.

The yatra began early morning from the dual tracks— the normal 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the 14-km Baltal route.

The batches of pilgrims, together with males, ladies and sadhus, left from the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam, in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, and Baltal base camp in Sonamarg space of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal on the first mild of the day, the officers stated.

The chants of ‘bum bum bole’ crammed the air because the batches had been flagged off by senior officers from the respective base camps, they added.

On Wednesday (July 2, 2025), the primary batch of 5,892 yatris was flagged off from the yatra base camp in Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

The pilgrims reached the Kashmir Valley within the afternoon and obtained a rousing welcome from the administration and locals.

They are going to pay obeisance on the cave shrine, which homes the naturally occurring ice-lingam formation.

Stringent safety preparations have been put in place for the sleek conduct of the yatra.

Hundreds of safety personnel from the police, Central Reserve Police Power, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and different paramilitary forces have been deployed to make sure safety. Aerial surveillance will even be carried out.

The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.