59-day Amarnath yatra to begin on July 2

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 25

The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) today said the annual Amarnath pilgrimage would begin from July 2 on Purshotam Purnima this year.

The SASB said the pilgrimage would be of 59 days and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 29. The registration for the pilgrimage would commence from March 1.

The Board made an announcement in this regard after its 28th meeting, presided over by Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of the SASB, today at Raj Bhawan here.

SASB members Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Bhajan Sopori, Prof Ved Kumari Ghai, Vijay Dhar, DC Raina and Chander Mouli Raina were present at the meeting.

On the duration and date of commencement of the yatra, the SASB relied upon the approach of the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee, set up to advise the Board regarding the duration and schedule of future yatras.

The Board decided that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rakesh K Gupta would arrange a special puja on Jyesth Purnima on June 2.

Considering the present carrying capacity of the yatra tracks, the Board decided that 7,500 pilgrims, excluding the yatris who would travel by helicopters to Panjtarni, would be allowed to register for the yatra on a per day per route basis.

On this basis, there would be about 16,000 pilgrims on the tracks every day. The Board directed that the CEO should frequently publicise that the intending yatris must furnish the prescribed compulsory health certificate, issued by the authorised doctors or medical institutes, before seeking registration for the yatra.