Amarnath Yatra: J&K admn prepares lodgement centres for 50,000 pilgrims

With the Amarnath pilgrimage set to begin from next week, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has prepared lodgement centres for at least 50,000 pilgrims.

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While the yatra will officially begin on July 3 when the pilgrims reach the holy cave shrine in South Kashmir, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha will flag off the first group of pilgrims on July 2 from Jammu.

Briefing the media, Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said the Lt Governor will flag off the yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on July 2 amid tight security. “The Yatra will formally start from Kashmir on July 3,” he added.

The 38-day-long Amarnath Yatra will start from the twin routes — the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district — leading to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine.

Arrangements have also been made at Bhagwati Nagar base camp where the arriving pilgrims will stay. Senior officials of administration and security forces have visited the site multiple times during last few days.

The Divisional Commissioner said, “Arrangements have been made to provide boarding and lodging facilities for over 50,000 people at various lodgement centres across the Jammu region, from Lakhanpur to Banihal (in Jammu region). A total of 106 lodgement centres have been set up for the purpose”.

These arrangements have been made by the district administrations of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban besides the police wings, he said.

He said community kitchens have been established with the support of voluntary organisations to provide food to the pilgrims in Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban districts. “Sanitation facilities including toilet setup have been made at all lodgement centres in these districts too,” he said.

In addition to regular registration counters, there will also be a facility for tatkal (on-the-spot) registration, which will be available at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

“This registration will be done based on a daily quota. There are five registration centres for this. Pilgrims who have completed their registration will be issued RFID cards for the Yatra. These RFID cards can be obtained from the Lakhanpur entry point, Samba, Jammu, Chanderkote and Banihal centres,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)