Over 3.52 Lakh Devotees Have Completed Amarnath Yatra So Far

Srinagar, July 25: More than 3.52 lakh devotees have participated in the Amarnath Yatra 2025 so far. On Friday, another batch of 2,896 pilgrims left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the Kashmir Valley. The Yatra began on July 3, and in just 21 days, the number of Yatris has already crossed the expected mark of 3.50 lakh, officials said.

The batch that left on Friday was split into two convoys. The first convoy, consisting of 42 vehicles with 790 Yatris, departed at 3:30 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. The second convoy had 75 vehicles with 2,106 Yatris, and left at 4:18 a.m. for the Pahalgam base camp.

Chhari Mubarak Rituals Begin in Srinagar

The sacred ‘Chhari Mubarak’ (Lord Shiva’s Holy Mace) was taken to the Shankaracharya Temple in Srinagar on Thursday for special Puja, performed on the occasion of Haryali Amavasya. The rituals were led by Mahant Deependra Giri and a group of Sadhus.

On Friday, the Chhari Mubarak was taken to the Sharika Bhawani Temple located on Hari Parvat hill. The final journey to the cave shrine will start on August 4 from Dashnami Akhara Temple and will reach the holy Amarnath cave on August 9, marking the end of the Yatra.

Heavy Security for Smooth and Safe Yatra

After the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam where 26 civilians were killed, authorities have strengthened security. Over 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed. The Indian Army has assigned 8,000 special commandos for the safety of the pilgrims.

The Amarnath cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,888 meters, can be reached via the Pahalgam route (46 km, 4-day trek) or the shorter Baltal route (14 km, same-day return). This year, no helicopter services are available due to security reasons. The cave houses a natural ice Shiva Lingam, which changes with the moon’s phases and is considered very sacred by devotees.