SRI NAGAR: The 46-day long annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in the Himalayas will begin on July 1, a Raj Bhavan official said here on Thursday. The decision was taken at the 36th meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) which met under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik, he said.
The SASB manages the annual pilgrimage on the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter, Baltal track, in Ganderbal district.
Based on the approach set by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee, the board decided the will begin on July 1 and would conclude on August 15.
After considering the carrying capacity of the tracks and available infrastructure in the yatra area, the board decided to allow 7,500 pilgrims per day on each of the two routes, excluding those travelling by choppers, to secure advance registration, he said. “CEO shall widely publicise that no person below the age of 13 and above the age of 75 shall be permitted,” he added.
Registration
The board also noted the steps taken by the board’s CEO for registering pilgrims through 440 designated branches of the Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and YES Bank
(With PTI inputs)