𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐮

Jammu, April 15 – Offline registration for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra began on Tuesday, with eager pilgrims gathering outside designated bank branches in Jammu, hoping to be part of the first group to undertake the sacred journey. The 38-day pilgrimage is set to start on July 3 via two routes—the traditional 48-km Pahalgam path in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district—and will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.

The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which oversees the annual yatra, has designated 540 bank branches across the country for in-person registration, alongside an online option launched a day earlier. According to SASB guidelines, individuals below 13 or above 75 years of age, as well as women over six weeks pregnant, are not eligible for registration.

A Punjab National Bank official at the Rehari branch said that both men and women turned up early in the morning for registration, underlining the enthusiasm among devotees. Registration is mandatory for all intending pilgrims.

Pilgrims expressed joy at the beginning of the registration process. Ajay Mehra, a local resident, said this would be his seventh pilgrimage and urged others to visit the holy cave, describing the experience as spiritually unmatched. Sham Lal Dogra, another devotee, said this would be his 45th visit to the shrine. Several women, some visiting for the first time, shared their excitement and hopes for spiritual fulfillment. Last year, over 5.12 lakh devotees took part in the yatra, marking the highest turnout in over a decade.