Snow clearance to be completed by June 15
Mudassir Kuloo
Srinagar, May 21: More than 3.6 lakh pilgrims have registered for this year’s annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra so far since the registration process commenced on April 15 through designated bank branches across the country.
Officials said registrations are being conducted through designated branches of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Jammu and Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), and Yes Bank across the country.
“More than 3.6 lakh yatris have registered so far. Applications for group registration of 5 to 30 pilgrims, which were being accepted through post, closed on May 20. Individual registration will continue till the last week of the Yatra, subject to the availability of slots,” officials said.
Authorities have made RFID cards mandatory for all pilgrims to strengthen security, tracking, and crowd management during the pilgrimage. The cards will be issued at designated centres before pilgrims begin their journey to the shrine.
Officials said the holy cave shrine will remain open for darshan daily from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM throughout the Yatra period.
The administration expects the number of registered pilgrims to cross five lakh this year. In 2025, more than 4.14 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine, while the figure crossed 5.10 lakh in 2024. Officials said the comparatively lower turnout last year was due to adverse weather conditions and the impact of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Meanwhile, extensive snow-clearance and track-restoration work is underway on both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes under the supervision of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) and the district administrations. Officials said the snow-clearance process is expected to be completed by June 15.
Authorities added that all arrangements related to accommodation, sanitation, healthcare, communication, and security would be put in place well before the commencement of the pilgrimage.
