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Amarnath Yatra to Get Cable Car Facility by 2029. (Image Internet)
New Delhi: Pilgrims visiting the Amarnath Cave Shrine may soon experience a major change in their journey as the government prepares a high-altitude cable car project aimed at making the annual pilgrimage faster and safer.
The proposed ropeway will connect the Baltal route with the upper reaches of the Amarnath Yatra path, allowing devotees to cover the difficult mountain stretch in a much shorter time. The project is expected to become operational by 2029, subject to completion of construction and other formalities.
The cable car project was announced earlier, and its Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared by the National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML). The plan has received approval from the Central government, with tenders expected to be issued by December 2026 and construction likely to begin in April 2027.
The 11.6-km cable car will start from Domel Gate on the Baltal route and extend up to Sangam Top, located around two kilometres away from the Amarnath Cave. The existing trek from Baltal currently requires several hours of difficult travel, but the ropeway could reduce the journey to around 25–30 minutes.
Pilgrims will still need to cover the final stretch to the shrine on foot or through traditional services such as palkis.
Officials said the ropeway will not follow the existing trekking path directly. Instead, it will take an aerial route over mountains and valleys while remaining close to the pilgrimage trail.
The terminal points will remain connected to the trekking route to assist in emergencies and evacuation operations. The cable car will stop at a safe distance from the cave to protect the sensitive environment and the naturally formed ice Shivling.
The system is expected to carry around 1,500 to 2,000 pilgrims per hour through enclosed cabins with seating capacity of six to eight passengers.
The project is being developed under the Central government’s Parvatmala Pariyojana and is part of a larger ropeway infrastructure plan for Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the DPR, the estimated cost of the project is around ₹1,200 crore. The all-weather cable car system will be designed to handle snowfall and strong winds, though the pilgrimage will continue to remain seasonal due to heavy winter snow near the final route.
The project faces major engineering challenges, including avalanche-prone areas and extreme weather conditions. However, officials believe the ropeway will significantly improve accessibility, allowing more devotees to undertake the Amarnath pilgrimage safely in the future.
