The annual pilgrimage to the Hindu cave-shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir will begin on July 3, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Sunday. Advance registrations for the yatra – which will continue for 57 days and conclude on August 28 – will begin on April 15, he told reporters at Lok Bhavan, news agency PTI reported.
“The Amarnath Yatra will commence on July 3 and conclude on August 28. Overall, this year’s pilgrimage will be slightly longer, lasting about 57 days,” Sinha said.
The dates for the yatra were decided at the meeting of the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB), which was chaired by Sinha. According to the guidelines, only those between the ages of 13 and 70 will be able to undertake the pilgrimage.
The first puja will be performed on June 19, on the occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima.
Registration, routes: Everything to know about Amarnath Yatra
• Advance, online registration – Registration for Amarnath Yatra has been made mandatory, and will begin from April 15.
Advance registration will be done through over 550 designated bank branches across India.
Online registration will be available on the official website of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the LG said.
The registration for a particular yatra date will close seven days in advance.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has issued a detailed step-by-step procedure for pilgrims on its official website — jksasb.nic.in.
• Authorised banks – The registrations will be done through branches associated with Yes Bank, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India and Axis Bank, PTI cited Sinha as saying.
These will be done on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be subject to the daily quota fixed for each route at every designated branch.
Banks have been directed to set up help desks, carry out staff training and undertake publicity campaigns for smooth registration, according to guidelines.
• Routes – The yatra will begin from twin tracks – the 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, and the 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district which is shorter but steeper.
• Health certificate – Pilgrims are required to obtain a Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC), dated on or after April 8, 2026, by an authorised doctor or medical institution. A prescribed fee of ₹150 per permit must also be given.
The SASB has issued a list of doctors and institutions authorised to issue compulsory health certificates across all states and union territories. These will be then verified by the bank branches for authenticity and validity.
Apart from age limitations, women with more than six weeks of pregnancy will also not be permitted to undertake the yatra, despite a mandatory health certificate.
• Yatra permit – The designated bank branches will verify the CHC for authenticity and validity before they issue the system-generated yatra permit, which will also specify the chosen route – Baltal or Pahalgam.
This permit will also mention the date on which the pilgrim is allowed to cross the access control gates at Domel (Baltal axis) or Chandanwari (Pahalgam axis), the guidelines said. The shrine board has requested pilgrims to ensure correct Aadhaar and contact details during the registration process.
