J&K LG Manoj Sinha flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra-2026 pilgrims

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, on Thursday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra-2026 from the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp in Jammu, marking the formal commencement of the sacred pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Baba Barfani.

Extending his heartfelt greetings to the devotees, the Lieutenant Governor wished them a safe, comfortable, blissful and spiritually enriching pilgrimage. Describing the yatra as a journey of faith and self-realisation, Sinha said, ''Amarnath Yatra is a sacred path where devotion meets spiritual awakening. I wish all devotees a safe, comfortable, blissful and spiritually fulfilling journey. May this holy pilgrimage bring immense joy and divine peace to all."

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The Lieutenant Governor said that the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Administration, the Amarnath Shrine Board, J&K Police, the Army, security forces, the local community and all other stakeholders have made comprehensive arrangements to ensure the safety, security and convenience of pilgrims arriving from across the country and abroad.

More than 4,800 pilgrims departed in the first batch for the holy cave shrine in a convoy comprising 259 light and heavy vehicles amid elaborate security arrangements. The flag-off ceremony was attended by spiritual leaders, heads of religious organisations, public representatives, senior officers of the civil administration, police, security forces and the Amarnath Shrine Board, besides prominent citizens and a large number of devotees, who gathered to witness the auspicious beginning of the annual pilgrimage.