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The Amarnath pilgrimage in Kashmir begins on July 3, following a recent terror attack. Authorities are enhancing security under Operation Shiva, deploying 42,000 personnel.
New Delhi:
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in Kashmir is set to begin on July 3 – in a first after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in the region. The yatra has become a focal point for the central security agencies, with the authorities stepping up safety-related precautions under ‘Operation Shiva’ – an exercise term launched by the Indian Army to prevent any possible terror movements during the Amarnath Yatra.
The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in Kashmir will start on July 3 and end on August 9, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) said.
Security arrangements
The Centre has ordered the deployment of 580 companies, comprising about 42,000 on-ground personnel, of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for the annual yatra, officials said on Thursday. While 424 companies are being sent to the Union Territory (UT), the rest, including about 80 companies that moved to the Valley during Operation Sindoor, will be relocated to secure the yatra route, the pilgrims, and other areas, including Srinagar.
Officials have also directed the forces to move immediately and take position in Jammu and Kashmir by the second week of June, reported news agency PTI.
CRPF Director General (DG) Gyanendra Pratap Singh had reviewed the preparations for the Amarnath Yatra when he was in Kashmir earlier this week. Border Security Forces (BSF) DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary also stressed the need for heightened safety and security during the Amarnath Yatra. He also chaired a meeting at the Jammu frontier headquarters to review and strengthen border domination measures in the region.
Amit Shah in J&K
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday to review the security arrangements ahead of the Amarnath Yatra. He chaired a high-level review meeting on preparations for the yatra in Jammu and said that the central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration will leave no stone unturned to provide all necessary facilities to the pilgrims.
Chaired a review meeting for the Amarnath Pilgrimage and evaluated the security arrangements and preparedness meant for the pilgrims. Instructed to maintain the utmost vigilance and ensure the seamless completion of the sacred journey.
Central govt and J&K administration will… pic.twitter.com/b8auExp7ID
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 29, 2025
Mr Shah also instructed officials to maintain utmost vigilance and ensure the seamless completion of the pilgrimage.
“The Modi government is committed to making the pilgrimage of pilgrims safe, smooth, and convenient. All agencies should further enhance surveillance using drones and other innovative technologies. All security agencies should work on complete area domination and the zero error principle. There should be vigilance, real-time intelligence sharing, and seamless coordination among all security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the area,” he said.
Amarnath yatra
The Amarnath temple is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus and is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of a ‘linga’ in a cave on the Amarnath mountain. It is managed by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which was constituted by an Act of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature in 2000. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is the chairman of the shrine board..
The journey to the shrine can be undertaken through two routes – the traditional 48-km route through Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
This year, the offline registration for the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra began with enthusiastic pilgrims forming a huge line outside the 540 designated bank branches across the country. According to the board, no one below the age of 13 or above 75 and women with more than six weeks’ pregnancy shall be registered for the pilgrimage.
Last year, the pilgrimage to Amarnath was completed by a record number of more than 5.12 lakh pilgrims, Mr Shah had said.
