Srinagar, July 18: The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra continued smoothly on Saturday, taking the cumulative number of pilgrims who have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine to 3,76,779 since the 57-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3. However, authorities have announced that the Yatra will remain temporarily suspended from July 19 on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes following an adverse weather forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to figures, 16,039 pilgrims, including security personnel, performed darshan at the holy cave shrine on Saturday. The day’s pilgrims included 11,785 men, 3,527 women, 235 children, 103 sadhus, 19 sadhvis, five transgender devotees and 365 security personnel.
On the Baltal route, 6,432 yatris crossed the Domail Access Control Gate by 8:30 am. The pilgrims comprised 4,754 men, 1,321 women, 121 children, 27 sadhus, 16 sadhvis, four transgender devotees and 189 security personnel. By 6:00 pm, 9,564 pilgrims had safely returned to Domail after performing darshan, indicating the smooth movement of yatris on the route.
Meanwhile, the 17th batch of 3,600 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu under tight security during the early hours of Friday. The convoy departed between 2:40 am and 3:15 am for the twin base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal and Pahalgam in Anantnag. Officials said 2,624 pilgrims opted for the Baltal route, while 1,008 chose the traditional Pahalgam route. The batch included 877 women and 104 sadhus, besides hundreds of other devotees.
Later in the day, the Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Anshul Garg, announced the temporary suspension of the pilgrimage from July 19 as a precautionary measure in view of the IMD’s forecast of inclement weather.
In view of inclement weather forecast issued by India Meteorological Department (IMD), Shri Amarnathji Yatra shall remain temporarily suspended from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes with effect from 19.07.2026 as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of the pilgrims.
“In view of the forecast of inclement weather over the next few days and considering the safety and well-being of the pilgrims, Shri Amarnathji Yatra shall remain temporarily suspended from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes with effect from 19.07.2026. Accordingly, no onward movement of pilgrims will be permitted from the Baltal and Nunwan/ Chandanwari base camp from 19.07.2026. Updates regarding the resumption of Yatra shall be issued in due course of time after ensuring route safety and comprehensive assessment of the weather conditions”, the Div Com said.
So far, over 3.7 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave Shrine during the ongoing Shri Amarnathji Yatra.
No Yatra movement from Jammu today
Meanwhile, in view of the inclement weather forecast along the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra route, no convoy or vehicle carrying Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra pilgrims will be allowed to proceed from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu, towards the base camps of Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) on July 19, 2026.
The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of pilgrims in view of the adverse weather conditions predicted along the Yatra route.
“No fresh batch of pilgrims shall be permitted to move from Jammu on July 19, 2026 towards Kashmir in view of inclement weather advisory. Pilgrims are advised to remain at their designated accommodation centres in Jammu, Udhampur, and Ramban and await further instructions from the authorities,” said Shri Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu.
