As registration for the 2026 annual Amarnath Yatra began on Wednesday, the administration and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) have started restoration and snow clearance work on the two important tracks via Baltal and Chandanwari to finalise preparations for the yatra.
The 57-day-long yatra is set to begin on July 3, with the administration fully gearing up for the upcoming pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per official sources, snow clearance and restoration work have already begun on both tracks and are going on in full pace at the base camps at Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal-Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
Meanwhile, work is also ongoing on infrastructure projects at Baltal and Nunwan to improve facilities for yatris. Sources confirmed on Saturday that approximately five kilometres of the 12-kilometre-long track has been cleared from Baltal, while four kilometres of the 32-kilometre-long via Pahalgam route has been cleared.
Both tracks are likely to be fully restored for the yatra by mid-June, given the ongoing pace of work across the twin routes, they said. Online and offline registration for this year’s Amarnath Ji Yatra started on April 15 at 555 bank branches across the country, including 310 branches of PNB, 110 branches of J&K Bank, 99 branches of SBI, and 37 branches of Yes Bank.
Last year, 4.14 lakh pilgrims visited the holy cave during the 38-day yatra, while in 2024 a record 5.12 lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine.
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