An all-women CRPF team contingent secures Nunwan base camp for Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026

As the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra got underway on July 3, a significant step towards enhancing security and ensuring the comfort of women pilgrims, an all- women contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has taken up a key role in the security grid at the Nunwan base camp near Pahalgam.

The female CRPF personnel have been assigned the responsibility of frisking women devotees, managing queues, assisting elderly pilgrims, and facilitating smooth movement through security checkpoints before they begin their journey to the holy Amarnath Cave Shrine. Their deployment is aimed at making the pilgrimage safer, more organized, and more comfortable for female devotees.

A dozen strong team, drawn from across India

The women officer’s unit stationed at Nunwan- one of the principal base camp on the traditional 48- kilometer Pahalgam route- comprises more than a dozen personnel drawn from different parts of the country, reflecting the CRPF national character. Among them Muskan Tyagi of Uttar Pradesh who joined the CRPF in 2023, is undertaking the yatra duty for the first time. She served alongside Arti Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Sandhya Rani from Andhra Pradesh, Kiron from Nagaland, Somashree from West Bengal and Asha Bai Meena from Rajasthan.

Their duties are well beyond from regular security check. The personnel are also helping pilgrims with direction, handle frisking of female devotee and ensuring orderly movement. Officials note that deployment is designed to preserve the privacy and comfort for women pilgrims during what can otherwise intimidating security process, particularly for the first-time visitors who are unfamiliar with the terrain and protocols. Women pilgrims have welcomed the initiative, saying that the presence of female security personnel has made the security screening process more convenient and reassuring.

Part of a wider security architect

The women contingent is one layer within a much larger, multi- agencies security operation has overseeing this year’s pilgrimage. The CRPF working alongside with the Jammu and Kashmir police, the Indian army and other agencies, has put in place a multi- layered security grid across both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes. That grid includes Road Opening Parties, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads, dog squads, drone surveillance, Quick Reaction Teams and round-the- patrolling to ensure an incident free journey to Amarnath.

Speaking on the broader preparedness effort, IGP Kashmir V K Birdi confirmed that roughly 140 CRPF companies have been deployed along the way Anantnag to the holy cave. Ahead of the pilgrimage start the security forces has carried out series of mock drill simulating various emergency scenarios involving Police, CRPF and various other agencies, to test coordination and response readiness.

A 57-day Pilgrimage

The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra is one of India’s most significant annual religious pilgrimages, attracting lakhs of devotees every year. The entire route will be in alert mode and provide a secure environment for devotees visiting the holy cave. The 57- day pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28.

For women pilgrims, the presence of a dedicated all-women security team at the very first checkpoint of their journey has been a welcome addition-   a small but meaningful gesture of dignity woven into the vast security machinery protecting one of India’s most significant annual religious pilgrimage.