Srinagar: Hit by Covid 19 pandemic for two years, the religious pilgrimage for Hindus to holy Amarnathji in Kashmir will begin from June 30 and will be conducted for 43 days before ending on Raksha Bandhan.
The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday chaired the 41st Board meeting of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu where he made the announcement. "It was decided that this year, the 43-day holy pilgrimage will commence on June 30 with all covid protocols in place and will culminate, as per the tradition, on the day of Raksha Bandhan, August 11 2022. The online registration for Shri Amarnathji Yatra will start on 11th April," a government spokesman said in a statement.
Besides the LG, the meeting was attended by members including Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj, D.C. Raina, Kailash Mehra Sadhu, K. N. Rai, K.N.Shrivastava, Pitambar Lal Gupta, Dr. Shailesh Raina, Prof Vishwamurti Shastri and the senior officers of UT administration. They all had in-depth discussions on various issues on the upcoming Yatra. The Lt Governor said that a large number of devotees are expected to arrive to pay their obeisance at the Holy Cave this year.
The Amartnathji Shrine board has decided that the Yatra would commence simultaneously from both the routes-the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. "The board has also decided to put in place a daily route-wise pilgrims ceiling to 10,000 excluding Yatris who would travel by helicopters. The board has also decided to extend the free-of-cost battery car service for Yatris at 2.75 Km-long Baltal to Domel stretch," the statement said.
The Lt Governor stressed on ensuring a world-class sanitation arrangement on the track and in Yatra camps. He said that all the utilities on the track routes should be ready and made functional well before the commencement of yatra. About the security measures, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh briefed the Board about the detailed security arrangement plan for the yatra.
He said that besides mountain rescue teams, JK Police will also install camps of health and medical care for the yatris. The yatra could not be held for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic while it was curtailed in 2019 before its commencement due to abrogation of Article 370.
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