Srinagar:- The sacred ice Shivling in the Amarnath Cave has shrunk to a height of about one foot. A photograph of the one-foot-tall "Baba Barfani" surfaced on Monday. The 57-day Amarnath Yatra began on July 3. Over 56,000 devotees have offered prayers during the past three days, which is 18.6% higher than the corresponding period last year.
In 2025, a total of 47,972 devotees had visited the shrine during the first three days of the pilgrimage. This year, around 400,000 devotees have registered for the Yatra.
In a photograph released by BSF personnel on May 23, the Shivling was nearly seven feet tall. Even on June 29, the day of the first puja, the Himling (ice lingam) stood at over five feet in height. However, a photograph that surfaced on July 6 shows that the Himling has reduced by nearly 90%.
Devotees continue to visit the shrine through the 48-kilometre Nunwan-Pahalgam route and the shorter but more challenging 14-kilometre Baltal route. The pilgrimage will conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Registration Slots Booked Till July 9; Administration Advises New Pilgrims to Wait
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has advised devotees arriving for the Amarnath Yatra without registration to postpone their journey for a few days. According to the administration, all registration slots up to July 9 have been fully booked.
As a result, any devotee attempting to proceed through the Baltal or Pahalgam routes without registration will be stopped at the checkpoints. They will be allowed to continue only after July 9. Officials said that from Sunday onwards, only registered devotees will be permitted to travel towards Kashmir.