The Amarnath Yatra 2024 in India is going to start from 29 June to 19th August 2024 and the registration process will start on 15th April 2024. This tour is a spiritual cum adventure tour to experience in India. During this tour, the nearby tourist attractions play an important role in tourists’ enjoyment.
Kashmir is known as the Paradise on earth and this yatra proves that. The devotees of Lord Shiva go through many troubles on this tour, but still, people ignore the risks involved in this yatra to seek the blessings of Baba Amarnath.
Essential Information for the 2024 Amarnath Yatra
| Key | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | June 29, 2024 – August 19, 2024 |
| Registration Start | April 15, 2024 |
| Duration | 52 days |
| Routes | Pahalgam and Baltal |
| Altitude of Cave | 3,880 meters |
| Daily Quota | 10,000 pilgrims per route per day |
| Key Requirements | Health certificate, Registration, RFID card |
| Helicopter Services | Available for both routes till Panchtarni |
| Physical Condition | Good health and physical fitness required |
| Safety Measures | Medical facilities, security arrangements, and environmental protections |
| Special Dates | – July 21, 2024: Guru Purnima <br> – August 19, 2024: Sawan Purnima (End) |
| Registration Fee | INR 220 for Indian pilgrims, INR 1550 for NRI pilgrims |
| Key Tips | Prepare physically, pack appropriately for cold weather, register early |
Dates for Amarnath Yatra 2024
The dates for Amarnath Yatra 2024 are announced by the Jammu and Kashmir administration. According to the administration, the pilgrimage for Amarnath will start on the 29 June and end on the 17th of August 2024.
People below 13 years and above 75 years are not allowed to participate in this yatra. Also, the board has commanded that the routes for this yatra be plastic-free.
Last year, in the 2019 Amarnath Yatra, the board issued an advisory for tourists and pilgrims. That advisory had requested them to finish the yatra and leave Kashmir as soon as possible for their security from impending terror threats.
But, after some days of issuing the advisory, the Centre scrapped Article 370 of the Indian Constitution on 5th August 2019 and divided it into Union Territories. So, this year the Amarnath Yatra board has decided to increase the quota for online registration.
Read A Guide to: November in Kashmir: Where to Go and What to See
About Amarnath Yatra:
Amarnath Yatra is one of the popular pilgrimages in India. Every year, this yatra is hosted during Shravani Mela in Shravan month according to the Hindu calendar, i.e. the month from July to August, as during this period only the Amarnath Cave is reachable.
The cave is located around 141 Km from the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar. This cave has high importance in Hinduism and is one of the most popular holy places in India. The Amarnath Yatra is started by Pratham Pujan. This Pujan is a prayer to Baba Amarnath to seek his blessings.
During this time, the ice caps around the cave start to melt, because of which more water is collected on the lingam and its size increases. So, from July to August, you can see the lingam reaches maximum height. Then slowly the water leaks and it starts to disappear.
According to the devout talks, the lingam extends and contracts during this summer festival with the different stages of the moon. So, Amarnath Yatra is an incredible experience for pilgrims and tourists.
Suggested Itineraries:
- Amarnath Tour Itinerary
- Jammu Tour Itinerary
- Kashmir Tour Itinerary
- Srinagar Tour Itinerary
- Pahalgam Tour Itinerary
- 3 Nights 4 Days Kashmir Tour Packages
- Golden Triangle With Kashmir Tour Package
About the place and Baba Amarnath:
Amarnath Temple in Jammu and Kashmir is a unique destination for pilgrims and devotees of Lord Shiva. Every year, this place welcomes lakhs of pilgrims and tourists at the end of the summer in Sravani Mela. Pilgrims seek blessings from Lord Shiva in this Mela.
During the yatra to Amarnath, the pilgrims see the holy junction of Amaravati and Panjtarni. Amarnath Temple is a popular place to visit, excluding the troubles during the Amarnath Yatra. So, to seek blessings from Lord Shiva, you should book the Amarnath Yatra packages.
The Amarnath Temple is known as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas. According to religious beliefs, Lord Shiva selected this place to teach the secrets of life and death to Goddess Parvati. As Devi Parvati demanded to know about the secrets of life and death and it had to be kept secret from everyone, Lord Shiva selected this cave to maintain the secrecy. This cave is located in the mountains, so it is very difficult to reach any person.
The secret was a holy thing, so he left all his associates to keep it completely secret. So, he left his vehicle, Nandi, the bull at Pahalgam, the moon that he keeps on the top of his head at Chandanwari, the snake that he wears around his neck at Lake Sheshnag, and the five basic elements of nature; air, water, earth, fire, and sky at Panchtarini.
He also left his son, Lord Ganesh at Mahaguna top. So, this place became a great pilgrimage destination. Every year, the devotees of Lord Shiva, make a trip to this Place; named Amarnath Yatra.
This yatra is started between Guru Purnima and Shravan Purnima. For this yatra, the devotees come to the base camp of Amarnath Yatra, and then from there, the yatra starts.
In this yatra, the Hindu devotees get a chance to visit this holy place and get blessings from Lord Shiva. This place is only reachable during the Amarnath Yatra, so you can plan for this yatra this year if you want to explore this historical cave in the Himalayas. This yatra can give a wonderful experience to tourists, so you should experience this once in your lifetime.
Routes to Amarnath:
Pahalgam and Baltal are the two places where the Amarnath Yatra starts. You can reach this place by local busses. After reaching this place, you can start your Amarnath Yatra by taking your preferred route to reach the destination. From these places, you have to continue this yatra on foot.
The Amarnath Yatra started at Baltal is the shorter one, which is only 14 Km long. This is a vertical route and the pilgrims need to climb that to reach the destination. So, those who can’t climb are recommended to take the alternative route via Pahalgam.
Those people who need to be carried shouldn’t take this route for their safety. Adventure seekers and young devotees find this route favorable for this yatra. Unhealthy and old people are not recommended to take this route to reach to Baba Amarnath Temple.
However, this route is ideal for the return trip because of its sloppy and steep nature. While returning, tourists or pilgrims take this route to reach the destination quickly.
The most preferred route for the Amarnath Yatra is via Pahalgam. This is the longer route to reach the destination which is around 36 to 48 Km long. This route is wider and safer than the Baltal Route. The Amarnath Yatra via this route takes around 3 to 5 days to reach the destination. This route is crowded all the time by many people and ponies. Unhealthy, sick, and old people can go to the Amarnath Temple in this way. Though this route is longer compared to the Baltal route, most people take this route for their convenience.
Both the Amarnath routes take the pilgrims to the Amarnath temple to make their yatra successful. You can avail of several facilities on both routes. Indian army, state government, and central government are putting their efforts into making the Amarnath Yatra convenient for all the pilgrims.
To provide rest for the pilgrims, many private and non-profit organizations also are opening stalls on these routes. Also, there are many food stalls on the way. Shri Amarnath Yatra’s trust hosts the yatra and provides services such as telecommunication, firewood, and power supply. At this place, there is no use of a mobile phone in any area, so it will be better if you leave your mobile phone behind.
As there are efforts of private and government organizations to provide several facilities to the pilgrims, the Amarnath Yatra is very easy nowadays compared to the olden days.
Nowadays there are medical support, several shops, and many other facilities that are there to make the Amarnath Yatra trouble-free. If you see a few years back, the Amarnath Yatra was one of the most unpleasant pilgrimages in India. But, it has changed now.
To ensure there is no severe issue during the yatra, a compulsory health check-up is done for all the pilgrims. As a result of this check-up, only healthy people are allowed for the Amarnath Yatra. There are also many road accidents and natural disasters that the pilgrims face during this yatra. However, this is still a popular pilgrimage in India and many people go for this yatra.
Amarnath Yatra in Helicopter:
Helicopter service is also available for Amarnath Yatra. This service is available at the Baltal helipad. Those who are unable to carry out this trip walking should go for a helicopter service. Children below 13 years and people above 75 years are not allowed on this trip for safety purposes. Also, above 6 weeks of pregnant women are not allowed for this trip. Helicopter service for Amarnath Yatra is also available from Srinagar via Pahalgam for the convenience of the pilgrims.
The helicopter service leaves pilgrims at Panjtarni, from where the Amarnath cave is only 6 Km away which takes 4 hours to reach by walking. From this place, it is not that difficult to walk, as the temperature is lower than in other areas.
Also Read :
- Top 20 Most Famous Temples of South India
- Top 20 Most Famous Temples in North India
- Top 10 Most Famous Temples of Andhra Pradesh
- Top 10 Most Famous Temples of Telangana
- Top 10 Facts About Golden Temple Amritsar
- Top 10 Most Famous Temples of Kerala
- List of Religious Places and Temples in Uttarakhand
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