SRINAGAR: Ahead of the start of the annual Amarnath Yatra, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has imposed a ban on serving halwa poori, samosas, jalebi, gulab jamun, pizza, dosa, fried roti and “other junk and unhealthy food” to yatris during the two-month long pilgrimage to the cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
For the first time, SASB has released a food menu for the yatris performing the pilgrimage to the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The 62-day yatra begins on July 1 from both the traditional Pahalgam route in south Kashmir and the shortest Baltal track in central Kashmir. The yatra will culminate on Raksha Bandhan on August 31.
As per the food menu, heavy pulav, fried rice, poori, bathura, pizza, burger, stuffed parantha, dosa and fried roti, bread with butter, cream-based foods, pickle, chutney, fried papad, chowmein and all other fried/fast food would not be served to the yatris by the community kitchens (langars) set up by the SASB this year.
The SASB has set up about 120 langars for pilgrims along the twin yatra routes of Pahalgam and Baltal. The board has also banned the serving of cold drinks, halwa, jalebi, gulab jamun, laddu khoya burfi, rasgulla and all such items, crunchy snacks (high in fat and salts) chips, matthi, namkeen mixture, pakora, samosa, fried dry fruits and all other deep fried items to the yatris during the yatra.
Besides, there is also a ban on serving non-vegetarian food, alcohol, tobacco, gutka, pan masala, cigarettes, and other intoxicants to the yatris. An SASB official said this is not the first time that the ban has been imposed on serving junk and unhealthy food. This kind of advisory, he said, is being issued every year for pilgrims intending to perform the yatra.