JOIN US43-days Amarnath yatra to begin on June 30
The Amarnath yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas this year will start on June 30 and last 43 days.
This was decided during a meeting of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of the Board.
The online registration for the annual Yatra will start from April 11 and the pilgrimage will be conducted with all Covid-19 protocols in place. The Yatra will culminate, as per the tradition, on the day of Raksha Bandhan, on August 11.
An official spokesperson said the Lt Governor called on the officials to be proactive and ensure elaborate arrangements for conducting smooth Yatra as a large number of devotees are expected to arrive to pay their obeisance this year. He also said the government is introducing an RFID system for pilgrims to track their movement en-route to ensure their well-being.
It was informed that key preparations have been already made for the Yatra and with increased capacity for accommodation, new Yatri Niwas Bhawans, augmented health facilities, upgraded tracks, telecommunication facilities, heli services, and several unique initiatives have been taken for the benefit of pilgrims and service providers.
The Board will also enable live telecast of morning and evening Aarti (prayers) for devotees across the globe. ‘Shri Amarnathji Yatra’ App has been made available on the Google play store to get real-time information about the Yatra, weather and for availing several services online, the spokesperson said.
The Amarnath yatra was cancelled midway in 2019 just before the special statue to Jammu and Kashmir was scrapped and it was divided into two Union Territories. After that, only a symbolic yatra was observed in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Every year lakhs of pilgrims either take the traditional and longer 45km-long Pahalgam route or the shorter 14km-long Baltal route to Amarnath, one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines. The pilgrimage usually spans nearly a month-and-a-half and takes place during July and August.
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