Overview
- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first convoy from Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu on Thursday, sending about 4,822 pilgrims in 259 vehicles toward the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps.
- The convoy reached the twin base camps and the 57‑day pilgrimage formally started on Friday with batches beginning the 48‑km Nunwan–Pahalgam and 14‑km Baltal treks.
- Officials reported more than 3.9 lakh registered devotees and warned that tatkal on‑spot slots are extremely limited because the daily number of pilgrims is fixed by Supreme Court directions.
- Security and logistics have been tightened with deployment of hundreds of additional paramilitary companies, army and CAPF units, aerial surveillance, drone‑detection systems, RFID checks and medical and food‑safety teams along the routes.
- Local officials and pilgrims praised the arrangements and many vendors and helpers are preparing for the economic lift the yatra brings while authorities stress strict adherence to registration and travel dates to keep crowds manageable.