Amarnath Yatra: On-the-spot registration of pilgrims starts in Jammu

The city administration on Thursday began the process for on-the-spot registration of devotees arriving here for the pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. Over 1,500 pilgrims, including sadhus, have arrived in Jammu city for the yatra to the 3,880-metre shrine starting on July 2.

While an on-the-spot registration centre has been set up for unregistered pilgrims in Shalimar area of the city, a special camp for registration of sadhus has been set up at Purani Mandi-based Ram temple complex. Amid tight security arrangements, over 1000 pilgrims have arrived at the Bhagwati-Nagar base camp here for their onward journey to Kashmir, officials said.

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The 62-day-long pilgrimage will commence on July 1 from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The registration of un-registered pilgrims arriving here from all parts of the country have begun on-the-spot at the counter here, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Nargesh Singh told PTI.

He said all facilities for smooth registration have been put in place.

"The registration of sadhus has begun in Jammu from today. All arrangements have been put in place for best possible facilities to sadhus", Tehsildar Jai Singh said.

The enthusiasm among pilgrims arriving here for the pilgrimage was palpable. Sanjeev Kumar of Uttar Pradesh said it is the fourth time that he is visiting the cave shrine.

"The registration process has improved from manual to online. This has done away with the process of sitting in long queues in hot weather conditions", he said.

Annother pilgrim, 69-year-old Jagdesh Raj from Delhi said, "For my entire life, I have been facilitating people planning to go on the pilgrimage, but could not go myself. However, I am very happy that I am now going to pay obeisance at Amarnath".

The sadhus have arrived here after completing the Char Dham Yatra to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines in Uttarakhand.

"We are here for the registration, which began today....It is for the sixth time, I am going to Amarnath", another pilgrim Ramesh Chander Giri said.