40 food items banned during Amarnath Yatra

Jammu, June 15

More than 40 food items have been banned at the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and the pilgrims have been advised to achieve physical fitness by walking at least 5 km a day, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said in its health advisory issued on Thursday.

The yatra to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave in South Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to commence on July 1 from the twin tracks the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14 km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal district.

As per the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) advisory, the foods that have been banned include heavy pullav, fried rice, puri, bathura, pizza, burger, stuffed parantha, dosa and fried roti, bread with butter, cream-based foods, pickle, chutney, fried papad, chow mein among other fried and fast food items. Keeping in view the health of the devotees, the board has recommended healthy options like cereals, pulses, green vegetables and salad along with a few rice dishes.