Despite the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, this year’s Amarnath Yatra has witnessed an extraordinary response from devotees, breaking all previous records. In the first six days of the pilgrimage, one lakh devotees visited the holy Amarnath cave temple.
By July 8, 2025, over one lakh devotees had paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine. On the opening day, July 3, more than 12,000 pilgrims visited the cave, and the number kept increasing. On Monday, July 7, the highest number was recorded, with 23,857 devotees visiting the holy cave. On July 8 as well, a significant number of pilgrims travelled via the two routes Nunwan-Pahalgam and Baltal. Around 20,000 pilgrims were expected to pay obeisance at the holy cave temple, marking a historic milestone of over one lakh footfall in just the first week of the Yatra.
Pilgrims have expressed high satisfaction with the arrangements made by authorities this year. Be it logistics or security, every aspect of the Yatra has been praised. Devotees credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring such arrangements for Lord Shiva’s followers. Many also expressed that with Lord Shiva and PM Modi by their side, there is no need to fear terrorism. “They may kill ten, but ten thousand will stand here. We were coming and will continue to come for the pilgrimage,” said one devotee.
Rahul Sharma stated, “There is no fear after the attack. If earlier 3 lakh devotees had registered, now 10 lakh will come. Our army is number one. This is our answer to terrorists that if they kill ten, ten thousand will stand here. No one can do anything till the Modi government is in power. Everyone is helpful incluing Jammu, Kashmir, and the Army.”
Thousands of more devotees are present at Pahalgam, Baltal, and Srinagar’s Pantha Chowk camps, waiting eagerly for their turn. All of them are excited to visit the holy cave temple and have said that this once-tough pilgrimage has now been made easier due to the extraordinary arrangements and logistics provided by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
Pawan Kumar said, “Until Baba and Modi are with us, nothing will happen. The attack was done to create fear so that people would not come, but when Baba calls, no one can stop it.”
Devotee Nitin Sani added, “There was a huge crowd. It took us two days to complete the registration. There is high enthusiasm among devotees.”
On April 22, over 3.5 lakh devotees had registered for the 2025 Yatra.
However, following the attack, there was a sudden decline, and only 85,000 initially agreed to come. But after witnessing the arrangements and adequate security, a massive rush for on-spot registration was seen from Jammu to Kashmir, as fears regarding safety during the Yatra began to fade. Devotees displayed remarkable resilience, saying, “Terrorism can’t stop the faith of devotees,” while praising the determination of authorities for providing foolproof security.
Devotee Tikam Chand said, “The crowd is continuously increasing, and many more will come. It took us three days to get registered—you can imagine how huge the crowd is. There is no need to fear terrorists; the authorities have made great arrangements.”
A three-tier security grid has been deployed, including over 581 additional companies stationed from Jammu to Kashmir to protect devotees. In addition, the Police, Army, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, and SSB are deployed from the holy cave to all Yatra routes. AI-powered CCTV surveillance and advanced monitoring systems have been installed along both routes. Additional security measures include RFID cards for real-time tracking of pilgrims and vehicles, ensuring no unauthorised movement.
The massive turnout in the first week, despite the threat of terror, suggests that the 2025 Yatra could surpass previous records. Last year saw a record footfall of 5.12 lakh devotees. Final figures for this year are awaited, as the Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 9, 2025, spanning 38 days.
