Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: The Amarnath Yatra 2026 has witnessed an overwhelming response, with 56,961 devotees offering prayers at the holy Amarnath Cave Shrine during the first three days of the annual pilgrimage, officials said.

The yatra, which began on July 3, has seen thousands of pilgrims arriving from across India despite heavy crowds at base camps and registration centres.

On the third day (Sunday) alone, 24,648 pilgrims reached the sacred cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 metres, through the Baltal and traditional Pahalgam-Chandanwari routes.

Pilgrim Numbers Continue to Rise

Officials said 32,313 devotees had completed the pilgrimage during the first two days.

With Sunday's turnout, the total number of pilgrims who have performed 'darshan' at the holy cave has increased to 56,961.

Despite partly cloudy weather around the shrine, the pilgrimage continued smoothly on both trekking routes. Pilgrims completed their darshan and safely returned to their respective base camps by the evening.

Heavy Rush Reported at Baltal and Pahalgam Routes

Authorities reported heavy crowds at both the Baltal Base Camp and Nunwan Base Camp, with thousands of pilgrims arriving every day.

The administration has urged devotees not to begin the pilgrimage before their allotted travel date, citing the unprecedented number of pilgrims this year.

The Amarnath Yatra is being conducted simultaneously through:

• 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
• 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

Both routes continue to witness heavy footfall.

Registration Fully Booked Until July 9

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has advised unregistered pilgrims to postpone their journey for a few days.

Officials said all available registration slots have been fully booked until July 9 due to the massive rush.

From Sunday onwards, only registered pilgrims are being allowed to proceed towards Kashmir.

Unregistered devotees are being stopped at designated checkpoints until fresh registration slots become available.

Thousands Gather at Jammu Registration Centres

Jammu has also witnessed a significant increase in the arrival of pilgrims ahead of the yatra.

Heavy crowds were reported at registration and token distribution centres located near:

• Tawi Riverfront
• Ram Mandir
• Purani Mandi
• Geeta Bhawan

Long queues were seen from early morning as devotees waited to secure registration for upcoming dates.

According to officials, around 5,000 unregistered pilgrims were issued registrations for future dates of the pilgrimage.

Administration Appeals for Cooperation

Authorities have appealed to devotees to follow official travel schedules and registration guidelines to ensure the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.

Officials said crowd management, security arrangements and weather monitoring remain top priorities as thousands of pilgrims continue to arrive daily for one of India's most sacred Hindu pilgrimages.