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Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, the first pictures of the ice-shaped Shivalinga (Baba Barfani) were released on Saturday. These pictures show that the 6 to 7 feet high Shivalinga has taken shape. During this, the security personnel got the first glimpse of the Shivalinga. This year’s Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 3, 2026 and will continue till August 9, 2026. More than 3.6 lakh pilgrims have registered for this year’s Amarnath Yatra. 10 to 12 feet of snow has fallen at many places on the Yatra route, but the Border Roads Organization (BRO) is rapidly repairing the tracks on both the routes. Officials claim that both the routes will be completely ready by June 15. The yatra will start on July 3 from Baltal-Sonmarg and the traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam route. This 57-day journey will end on August 28, on the day of Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima. Registration started from 15th April.

Registration closed for groups of 5 to 30 people

Registration of pilgrims traveling in groups of 5 to 30 people closed on Wednesday. However, registration of pilgrims traveling alone or in small groups will continue till the slots remain vacant. Registration is being done through designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India and Yes Bank. Officials expect the number to cross 500,000 this year. In 2025, 4.14 lakh pilgrims visited, while in 2024 the figure was more than 5.10 lakh.

There is still up to 12 feet of snow on the road

The snow is 6 to 8 feet thick in normal areas and 10 to 12 feet thick in avalanche areas. Snow has been removed from 9 km of Baltal route and 8 km of Nunwan-Pahalgam route. Work is also underway to widen the track by 12 feet, improve the surface and build retaining walls and culverts.

Pre-fabricated structure instead of tents for accommodation of devotees

This year, tents are being replaced with pre-fabricated and fiber structures at the base camp. These will provide comfortable and modern living space to the devotees. These structures will be effective in dealing with sudden drop in temperature and rain. There are 48 rooms in each building. Every room has attached toilet. There will be facility of hot and cold water. Pantries are also being made in every building. The work at these places started three years ago and is now nearing completion. The number of Char Dham pilgrims is making records. Since the start of the yatra on April 19, till May 13, 1.264 million pilgrims have visited the four Dhams. However, the number of people dying during the journey is also continuously increasing.