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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting in the national capital on Friday to review the preparedness for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, an annual pilgrimage that draws thousands of devotees to the holy cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting is expected to focus on security arrangements, logistical planning, and coordination among various agencies, including Central Armed Police Forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir, law enforcement agencies, and the police, to ensure the smooth and safe operation of the yatra, which will last 57 days, beginning on July 3 and ending on August 28. Among those scheduled to attend the meeting are the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Chief of the Army Staff Upendra Dwivedi, and Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force GP Singh. Other senior officials from key security and administrative agencies will also be present in the meeting, which is scheduled to start around 11 am. Officials indicate that the review will assess deployment strategies for security forces, surveillance mechanisms, and emergency response systems, given the sensitive nature of the region. The meeting aims to ensure that pilgrims can undertake the yatra in a secure environment, with minimal disruption. The 2026 Amarnath Yatra, an annual pilgrimage to the holy cave in the Kashmir Himalayas, is organised by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) and attracts thousands of devotees. In view of the security, all routes of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra--including both the Pahalgam and Baltal axes--are already declared as a 'No Flying Zone' from July 1 till completion of the Yatra. Consequently, authorities have declared that helicopter services for pilgrim travel shall not be available in the Yatra area during Shri Amarnathji Yatra (SANJY) 2026. All pilgrims planning to visit the Holy Shrine during this Yatra have been advised to take note of the same with the direction to reach the holy cave shrine on foot or avail the services of ponies and palkis throughout the Yatra. To pay obeisance to the holy ice lingam, the devotees undertake the arduous annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine located in the Kashmir Himalayas in the months of June-August. (ANI)
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