Successful Amarnath yatra will boost J&K’s economy further: L-G Sinha

While acknowledging the immense contribution of locals in making the annual Amarnath Yatra a success, Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday said the arrival of a record number of pilgrims will help to boost Union Territory’s economy.

This year the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnathji in south Kashmir Himalayas will begin on July 1 and culminate on August 31 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan and Shravan Purnima. In 2022, the pilgrimage had lasted for 43 days only from June 30 to August 11 with 3.65 lakh yatris paying obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine.

“Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) along with the UT administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage this year. I urge the people of Kashmir to cooperate in making the pilgrimage a success,” L-G Sinha told reporters at Rajbhawan, here.

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He said the arrival of more pilgrims will open more opportunities for livelihood for locals and will help boost the UT’s economy further. The pilgrims, he said, will go with a good message after performing the yatra which ultimately will help in giving fillip to pilgrim tourism in J&K.

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.

Earlier, L-G Sinha attended the ‘Pratham Puja’ to mark the ceremonial beginning of the Amarnath yatra, through video conferencing. He sought the blessings of Baba Amarnathji and prayed for the good health and well-being of one and all.

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has been organising Pratham Puja at the Holy Cave on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima every year.

“For millions of devotees all over the world, pilgrimage to the Holy Cave of Baba Amarnath is a cherished life-long dream,” he said.