The annual Amarnath Yatra this year will begin on June 28 and conclude on August 22 after 56 days.
This was decided in a board meeting of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on Saturday.
Last year, the annual pilgrimage was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The yatra was supposed to be held from July 21 but due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the decision to allow the yatra was reversed.
In 2019, the pilgrimage was halted midway due to the revocation of Article 370.
The government had issued an advisory asking tourists and pilgrims to shorten their stay in Kashmir two day before the Article 370 move.
The SASB, according to an official statement, has decided to allow the pilgrims this year with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. The SASB will make arrangements for the live telecast/ virtual darshan of the morning and evening aarti. The traditional rituals will be carried as per past practice.
The Amarnath cave that houses the Shiva lingam is located in the mountains, 45km from Pahalgam in Anantnag at an altitude of 3,888m. The access to the cave from Baltal, Sonmarg, in Ganderbal is only 14km long. Most pilgrims, especially the first timers, hike to the cave from Pahalgam and return via Baltal.
The government is also drawing up plans for the security of the pilgrims.
The meeting was chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan in Jammu. It was decided that the advance registration of pilgrims will commence from April 1 through 446 designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and YES Bank, located in 37 states and UTs. The pilgrims can download the “Shri Amarnathji Yatra'' App available on the Google Play store to get real time information about the yatra and for availing several services online. It was also decided to enhance the daily route-wise number of pilgrims from 7,500 to 10,000 per day per route excluding those pilgrims who would travel by helicopters.
The meeting also approved the enhancement of remunerations for priests from existing Rs 1,000 per day to Rs 1,500 per day for the next three years. The group accidental insurance cover for pilgrims and service providers has also been enhanced from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and for ponies from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000. The meeting also advised the SASB’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to appeal to all the potential pilgrims to consult their doctors before embarking on the pilgrimage. It was decided the CEO shall also widely publicise that no person below 13 years and above 75 shall be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage. The CEO apprised the meeting about the other initiatives, including introduction of free battery car service for the first time for 2.75km-long Baltal to Domel stretch and vice versa.
Further, the Board is issuing silver coins of 5gm and 10gm denomination through the Metal and Mineral Trading Corporation (MMTC). These coins would be sold to the pilgrims at the Holy Cave and at the offices of the shrine Board during the Yatra.
