Overview
- The 57-day Amarnath Yatra formally began on Friday, July 3, and is scheduled to run until August 28, with first aarti ceremonies and flag-offs from Jammu, Baltal and Pahalgam.
- Security has been stepped up with Project Hawk Eye, drones, observation posts, facial recognition, sniper teams and deployment of extra paramilitary companies, and the routes have been declared a No‑Flying Zone so helicopters are suspended.
- The Jammu and Kashmir administration is enforcing advance registration with personalised RFID/GPS permits tied to allotted dates and has asked unregistered pilgrims to delay travel because slots are full through July 9.
- Organisers have activated a medical and rescue network that includes ten stationary first‑aid camps, life‑support ambulances, 24‑hour medical posts stocked with oxygen and BRO road and trail work to ease high‑altitude transit and evacuations.
- Officials and the prime minister have promoted a ‘Vocal for Local’ pledge to boost Kashmiri livelihoods, while early turnout figures remain inconsistent across reports with one tally at about 12,340 darshans on day one and another saying roughly 26,000 pilgrims over the first two days.