SRINAGAR: After remaining suspended for two consecutive years due to Covid-19, the annual Amarnath Yatra to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine in south Kashmir will begin on June 30 with Covid protocols. The 43-day yatra will culminate on Rakhsha Bandhan, August 11.
The decision was taken at a meeting of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SAAB) headed by its chairman and Jammu and Kashmir Lt-Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday. The online registration for the yatra will start on April 11. The yatra will commence simultaneously from both routes — the traditional Pahalgam track in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district and the shorter Baltal route in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir.
It has been 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 free-of-cost battery car service for yatris at the 2.75-km Baltal-Domel stretch. The SASB will also enable live telecast of morning and evening aarti (prayers) for devotees across the globe.
L-G Sinha called on officials to be proactive and ensure elaborate arrangements for conducting a smooth yatra as a large number of devotees are expected. The government, he said, is introducing an RFID system for pilgrims to track their movement en-route to ensure their well-being. Sinha directed for sending special invites to akhada parishads and acharya parishads for facilitation of Sadhu and Sant Samaj.
It will be after three years that the Amarnath Yatra will take place this year. Due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual yatra was cancelled in 2020 and 2021. It was also curtailed and called off mid-way in 2019 ahead of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K by the Centre on August 5 that year.