Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army’s Northern Command based in Udhampur, visited the Pahalgam route of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra in south Kashmir. This visit aimed to evaluate the operational readiness for the upcoming annual pilgrimage. The Army’s Northern Command stated that Lt Gen Pratik Sharma assessed the security situation and operational preparedness along the Southern Route in Pahalgam and Chandanwari.
The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026 is scheduled to start on July 3 and end on August 28, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan festivals. Security for the Yatra is being overseen by the J&K Police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), with the Army securing the peripheral areas of the pilgrimage route. The holy Amarnath cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 meters in the Kashmir Himalayas, holds an ice stalagmite structure believed to symbolize the mystical powers of Lord Shiva.
Yatris have two routes to reach the cave shrine: the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district or the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district. Pilgrims taking the Pahalgam route typically require four days to reach the cave shrine, while those using the Baltal route can return to the base camp the same day after ‘darshan’ inside the cave shrine. This year, due to security reasons, helicopter services will not be available for pilgrims.
Security forces, along with local residents, contribute to the safety of the Yatra. Local Muslims actively participate by welcoming the Yatris and assisting as porters, laborers, ponywallahs, and guides, making the pilgrimage a collective effort.
