Urges pilgrims to take home local handmade products, unforgettable memories
Jammu Tawi, Jul 15: Directing officials to showcase Jammu and organize sightseeing tours of key spiritual and tourism spots for Amarnath pilgrims in the region, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, on Wednesday reiterated his resolve to make this year’s yatra truly historic.
According to the details available, the Lieutenant Governor today visited the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu and reviewed the facilities and services in place for the ongoing pilgrimage.
LG Sinha interacted with the officials from J&K Police, Army, Security Forces, Shrine Board, and Civil Administration, and took stock of the measures taken to facilitate the comfortable stay of the pilgrims. He commended their hard work and urged them to treat every Yatri as a divine guest.
“With the holy pilgrimage already crossing the 3 lakh mark in just 12 days, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for pilgrims is our top priority,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor stressed on ensuring flawless registration, comfortable lodging, and smooth travel arrangements for all devotees of Baba Barfani.
He also emphasised showcasing Jammu and directed officials to organize sightseeing tours to Jammu Division’s key spiritual and tourism spots, while actively promoting local handicraft and handloom products.
“It is our goal that whenever Baba Amarnath pilgrims return home, they should carry a piece of Jammu with them in the form of beautiful local handmade products and unforgettable memories. Together, we resolve to make this year’s Yatra truly historic,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The Lieutenant Governor also reviewed the deployment of Food Safety Officers at community kitchens, facilities at reception and lodgement centres, on-spot registrations of pilgrims, transportation and security arrangements.
He directed the officials to optimize manpower deployment to seamlessly manage the heavy influx of devotees throughout the yatra.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasized that officials must closely monitor Meteorological Department’s predictions and remain alert to any weather vagaries.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar informed about the legal action initiated against the individuals caught engaged in fraudulent practices. The Lieutenant Governor further directed that administrative and legal measures be taken against any official found involved in misconduct.
The Lieutenant Governor also interacted with the devotees of and wished them a safe, peaceful and blessed pilgrimage.
3.24 lakh pilgrims complete Yatra in 13 days
22,599 perform Darshan; fresh batch of 6,251 devotees leaves Jammu
The annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra continued to witness an overwhelming response, with 22,599 pilgrims performing darshan at the holy cave shrine on Wednesday, taking the total number of devotees who have completed the pilgrimage to 3,24,525 in the first 13 days of the Yatra.
According to official figures, those who performed darshan on Wednesday included 16,156 men, 5,665 women, 346 children, 86 sadhus, 13 sadhvis, 10 transgender devotees and 323 security personnel.
A fresh batch of 6,251 pilgrims, including 50 foreign devotees, left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu early Wednesday under multi-layered security arrangements for the twin base camps of Baltal and Nunwan.
Officials said 2,985 pilgrims opted for the shorter Baltal route, while 3,266 proceeded towards the Nunwan base camp via the traditional Pahalgam route.
The convoy comprised 230 vehicles, including 137 buses, 34 medium motor vehicles (MMVs) and 59 light motor vehicles (LMVs).
The batch included 4,439 men, 1,614 women, 13 children, 78 sadhus, 53 sadhvis, one child sadhu, three transgender pilgrims and 50 foreign male devotees.
The Baltal-bound convoy departed at 2:42 am, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy left at 3:27 am under elaborate security arrangements.
The total number of pilgrims who have departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu since the commencement of departures on July 2 has reached 99,287, inching closer to the one-lakh mark.
Meanwhile, Director General (DG), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Praveer Ranjan, accompanied by senior officers, visited Jammu to review the security arrangements for the ongoing Amarnath Yatra Yatra-2026.
The visit included a comprehensive assessment of security measures, medical response mechanisms, fire safety preparedness, pilgrim facilities, logistics and inter-agency coordination to ensure the safety, security and convenience of devotees.
During the visit, the DG inspected the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp, Joint Police Control Room (JPCR), CCTV Control Room and the Tawi River Front. He also interacted with deployed personnel and pilgrims, reviewed the security framework on the ground and stressed the need for maintaining operational readiness, continuous vigilance and seamless coordination among all stakeholder agencies.
The DG CISF chaired a high-level security review meeting with senior officers of the CAPFs, J&K Police, Intelligence Bureau, Indian Army and other stakeholder agencies. Commending the dedication, professionalism and seamless coordination among the security forces, he expressed confidence in their continued commitment towards ensuring the smooth, safe and incident-free conduct of the Amarnath Yatra-2026.
