The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2023, and the pilgrimage will for around 62 days. The registration process for the yatra through offline & online modes to commence from April 17, 2023, onwards, news agency ANI reported.
According to an official notice, the 62-day Amarnath Yatra will begin on July 1 and finish on August 31, 2023.
While announcing the dates for holy pilgrimage and registration today, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated that the administration is dedicated to ensuring a seamless and hassle-free pilgrimage.
The Yatra would begin at the same time on both routes, the Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and the Baltal track in Ganderbal district.
The Lt Governor further urged authorities to maintain high standards of cleanliness and to intervene as needed in the areas of sanitation and trash management.
In 2022, the pilgrimage lasted 43 days, from June 30 to August 11, with 3.65 lakh yatris paying reverence at the 3,880-metre-high sacred cave temple.
The yatra could not be held in 2020 or 2021 owing to the covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, the pilgrimage was halted for roughly 15 days ahead of the centre's decision on August 5 to revoke the former state's special status and divide it into two union territories (uts).
Every year, millions of pilgrims either walk the traditional and lengthier 45 km-long pahalgam path or the shorter 14 km-long baltal route to Amarnath, one of Hinduism's holiest temples.
It should be noted that since the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board took control of the yatra in 2001, the number of pilgrims who visited the holy cave has been 1.91 lakh, followed by 1.10 lakh in 2002, 1.70 lakh in 2003, four lakh in 2004, 3.88 lakh in 2005, 3.47 lakh in 2006, 2.96 lakh in 2007, 5.33 lakh in 2008, 3.81 lakh in 2009, 4.55 lakh in 2010, 6.21 lakh in 2011, 6.35 lakh in 2012 and 3.54 in 2013, 3.72 lakh in 2014.