Amarnath Yatra To Start From July 21 This Year; Except Sadhus Only Pilgrims Below 55 Years Allowed

The annual Amarnath Yatra to the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled to begin from July 21 this year. The Shrine Board has said that special precautions will be taken to reduce the risk of coronavirus.

Representative Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Even as the cases of coronavirus continues to increase in India, the annual Amarnath Yatra to the shrine in Jammu and Kashmir is set to begin from July 21 this year but the duration of the yatra has been cut short to 15 days. According to a report by IANS, the officials of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) have announced that the yatra will be start from July 21 and end on August 3. The 'Pratham Puja' for the Yatra was held on Friday. The Amarnath shrine is one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites. It is located at f 3,888 m above sea level in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is covered in snow most of the year but opens for pilgrims for a short period during summer. The shrine board has also said that several other measures will be taken during the yatra this year to prevent coronavirus spread.

• The duration of the yatra is short and will last for only 15 days.
• Pilgrims above 55 years of age will not be allowed. Exemptions will be there for sadhus.
• Those undertaking the yatra will have to produce a COVID negative certificate. They will also be checked for symptoms after entering the state.
• Pilgrims will have to register online for the yatra except for sadhus.
• Yatra will take place from the Baltal route. No pilgrim will be allowed to use the Pahalgam route.
• Due to a shortage of local labourers the Yatra this year will be performed by using helicopters from Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district to the cave shrine.

The shrine officials have also said that the 'Aarti' which is performed in the shrine twice a day during the yatra will be telecasted live across the country. India is currently in the process of lifting the lockdown which was imposed from March 24 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. According to the new regulations by the Ministry of Home Affairs, religious places can open from June 8.