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The wait is over now, the much-awaited Amarnath Yatra 2025 officially begins today. The first batch of Yatris began their journey from the Baltal base camp early Thursday morning, with another group departing from Pahalgam. The Yatra officially started on Thursday and will conclude after 38 days on August 9, coinciding with the festivals of Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Meanwhile, the second batch of 5,246 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road in Jammu for the Valley in two escorted convoys, underscoring the tight security measures in place.
If you are planning to go on the Amarnath Yatra. You are probably wondering how to start the journey, how many days to take off, how to book, what the route will be, what accommodation options are available, what the total cost will be, and what security arrangements are in place. Let's explore these details to help you plan your pilgrimage.
Amarnath Yatra routes
There are two routes to reach the Amarnath cave. One route starts from Pahalgam and the other from Baltal.
The Pahalgam route in Anantnag district is 48 km, and the second route is shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district.
The Pahalgam route is considered long; it may take 3 to 5 days to travel through it. The second Baltal route takes 1 to 2 days.
Registration essentials for Amarnath Yatra 2025
Registration is mandatory for the Amarnath Yatra, and you can register both online and offline. Let's understand the process.
Online registration can be done from the official website of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) jksasb.nic.in registrations are being done from 14 April 2025. 15,000 registrations can be done in a day.
Before registration, you have to choose a route of travel. Apart from this, it is necessary to provide an ID card like Aadhar, Passport, Voter ID, or PAN card, passport size photo, and Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC). The health certificate should be issued on or after 8 April 2025.
After registration, you will have to get an RFID card from the centers in Jammu or Kashmir, for which biometric eKYC verification will be done. Without this card, you cannot pass through the access control gates.
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. This card is important during the Amarnath Yatra to track the location of pilgrims, enhancing their safety and security during the pilgrimage.
Offline registration
Offline registration has started from June 30. For this, more than 533 bank branches have been fixed across the country. These include branches of Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, and Yes Bank.
Offline tokens can also be taken after reaching Jammu. Tatkal registration counters have been set up at a total of 4 places in Jammu. These include near the railway station, Saraswati Dham, Vaishnavi Dham, and Panchayat Bhawan Mahajan. There is a special registration center for sadhus and saints only in the Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp.
The same documents will be required for offline registration as for online registration. After getting the token in Jammu, the registration process can be completed by submitting the medical certificate and other documents at the designated center.
For Indian citizens, the offline registration fee is Rs 120 per person, and the online fee is Rs 220 per person. After registration, the pilgrims coming to Jammu will be able to leave for the fixed route with groups from Bhagwati Nagar Base Camp. Then, on July 3, they will start trekking to the Amarnath cave.
Amarnath Yatra expenses and accommodation
The Amarnath Yatra can cost between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per person via the Baltal route and Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 via the Pahalgam route, including travel, accommodation, and food. Additional costs include pony or palanquin hire (Rs 2,000-Rs 5,000). Accommodation is available in Shrine Board tents (Rs 500 onwards) with free langar food, and hotels can be booked in Jammu or Srinagar before the journey.
Route safety
- Security across the Jammu region has been stepped up significantly in the wake of the April 2025 terror attack in Pahalgam.
- Over 50,000 personnel from the CRPF, Army, and Police have been deployed.
- CCTV cameras, drones, jammers, and facial recognition systems are being used to monitor the route.
- Arrangements have also been made for medical teams, air ambulances, and emergency evacuation to ensure the safety of all pilgrims.
- An additional 180 companies of CAPFs have been deployed to augment the existing security set-up comprising the Army, security forces, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
- Yatris have been advised to undertake the journey from Jammu to the Valley only as part of the escorted convoys and not to move separately towards the base camps on their own.
- Devotees approach the holy cave shrine situated 3,888 metres above sea level either from the traditional Pahalgam route or the shorter Baltal route.
- For security reasons, no helicopter services are available for the Yatris this year.
- Authorities have set up 17 medical camps at langar sites, established mini hospitals, and deployed ambulances across the Ramban district.
- The National Highway Authority and the administration have provided four additional ambulances, which we have deployed for yatra duty.
Ramban Chief Medical Officer Kamal Zadoo told ANI, "On behalf of the health department, we have set up 17 camps at langar sites and lodgement centres across Ramban district from Nashri tunnel to Navyug tunnel. Mini hospitals have been established at Yatri Niwas Chanderkot and Lambhar Ground, featuring a four-bed indoor facility, a laboratory, and an ECG unit. We have also placed cardiac monitors there this year. Two ambulances have been deployed at Yatri Niwas Chanderkot, the Langar Site in Chanderkot, and Lambhar Ground. We have also kept back-up ambulances for any untoward incidents...".
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