New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has proposed a third route to the Amarnath cave shrine from Ladakh, describing it as the shortest and safest alternative to the existing Pahalgam and Baltal tracks.
Senior BJP leader and advocate Tashi Gyalson said the opening of the 14.15km Zojila Tunnel has made it feasible to develop a new route from Minamarg in Ladakh’s Drass district, with only about a 5-km trek required to reach the cave shrine, The Hindu reported.
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has sought a detailed feasibility report on the proposal. According to Gyalson, the route would be less strenuous due to its gentler gradient compared with the existing routes through Pahalgam and Baltal.
The proposed track would begin from Minamarg, located at an altitude of around 10,800 feet near the eastern portal of the Zojila Tunnel. As the Amarnath cave is situated at 12,756 feet, pilgrims would need to ascend roughly 1,950 feet—significantly less than the climb from Baltal or Pahalgam.
The report, quoting Gyalson, said the route passes through broad valleys that could accommodate parking facilities and other infrastructure while also boosting tourism and economic activity in the remote Drass region. He added that pilgrims could access the shrine from both Srinagar and Leh, and those travelling via Himachal Pradesh could also reach Drass through the Zanskar Road.
At present, pilgrims use two routes to reach the cave shrine: a 14km steep trek from Baltal in Ganderbal district and a 34km route from Pahalgam in Anantnag district. The Baltal route was opened in 1999, while the Pahalgam route has traditionally been the primary pilgrimage path.
