Jammu & Kashmir: 62-day Amarnath Yatra to begin on July 1

The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnathji yatra in south Kashmir Himalayas will begin on July 1 this year and the pilgrimage will culminate on August 31 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima.

The registration through online and offline modes for the annual pilgrimage will start from April 17. In 2022, the pilgrimage lasted 43 days from June 30 to August 11 with 3.65 lakh yatries paying obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is the ex officio chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), while announcing the dates for holy pilgrimage and registration said the administration is committed to ensure smooth and hassle free pilgrimage.

“Hassle-free pilgrimage is the top priority of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Amit Shah Ji. The administration will provide best-in-class healthcare and other essential facilities to all the visiting devotees and service providers,” he said.

“Telecom services will be made operational prior to the commencement of Pilgrimage. All the stakeholder departments are working in coordination to ensure facilities for lodging, power, water, security and other arrangements for the smooth conduct of Yatra,” the L-G added.

Every year lakhs of pilgrims either take the traditional and longer 45 km-long Pahalgam route or the shorter 14 km-long Baltal route to Amarnath, one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines.

The L-G also directed the officials to ensure high levels of cleanliness and to take necessary intervention for sanitation and waste management. The SASB will also enable live telecast of morning and evening Aarti (Prayers) for devotees across the globe.

Shri Amarnathji Yatra’s 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.