Covid-19 situation permitting, Amarnath Yatra to resume in full swing: Sources

Authorities intend to run annual pilgrimages to the holy cave shrine of Amarnathji in south Kashmir Himalayas this year for two months if the Covid-19 situation doesn’t go out of hand this summer, according to sources.

The annual yatra was cancelled in 2020 as well as 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and only symbolic ‘Chhari Mubarak’ was taken to the cave shrine by the Mahant Deependera Giri Ji and other seers. In 2019, it was cut short following intelligence inputs of terror threats ahead of the Centre scrapping Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, while in 2018, the pilgrimage was held for 60 days.

The yatra to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine takes place from the twin routes of Pahalgam in south Kashmir and Baltal in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir from late June to mid-August.

In a recent meeting chaired by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), which manages the affairs of the yatra, it was proposed by some members that the pilgrimage should be conducted for a period of two months this year.

“The proposal is likely to be accepted in the next meeting of the SASB which is expected to take place in late January. The feasibility report and cost involved for running a cable car to Amarnath shrine is also in the advanced stage,” sources told DH.

Also Read — Efforts on to make annual Amarnath yatra safe for pilgrims: J&K LG

“But the government will take the Covid-19 situation into consideration before taking a decision as some of the health experts have suggested that the third wave of Covid could peak in February because of the Omicron variant,” they said.

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.

It may be recalled that since the SASB took the control of the yatra in 2001, the number of pilgrims who visited the holy cave were 1.91 lakh during that year, followed by 1.10 lakh in 2002, 1.70 lakh in 2003, four lakh in 2004, 3.88 lakh in 2005, 3.47 lakh in 2006, 2.96 lakh in 2007, 5.33 lakh in 2008, 3.81 lakh in 2009, 4.55 lakh in 2010, 6.21 lakh in 2011, 6.35 lakh in 2012 and 3.54 lakh in 2013, 3.72 lakh in 2014, 3.52 lakh in 2015, 2.21 lakh in 2016, 2.60 lakh in 2017 and 2.85 lakh in 2018.

Besides, sources said, it was also revealed in the meeting that efforts will be made to attract the pilgrims to various other religious places in Kashmir, including Mata Kheer Bhawani (Ganderbal), Mattan (Anantnag) and other temples.

Watch the latest DH Videos here: