Srinagar: Amarnath yatra 2016 will commence on July 2, coinciding with Massik Shivratri, an auspicious day as per Hindu calendar, and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandan) on August 18, 2016, a spokesman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said on Thursday.
This year’s Amarnath yatra will last only for 48 days as compared last year’s 59 days and the concerned authorities have said that the yatra period has been curtailed “keeping in view the foremost concern of safety and security of the pilgrims”.
Last year over 3,52,000 devotees paid obeisance at the 12,729 ft. (3,888 m) high cave-temple in Kashmir Himalayas.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor, N.N. Vohra, who is also the chairman of SASB, presided over its 30th meeting held in New Delhi on Thursday which decided the duration of the yatra 2016 and took a series of other decisions to ensure a smooth pilgrimage and also to provide better medical, travel and boarding and lodging facilities to the devotees.
The meeting deliberated at length also on the number of pilgrims who would be allowed to register, date-wise and route-wise, for this year’s yatra, a spokesman of the SASB said. “Considering the present carrying capacity of the tracks, available infrastructure in the yatra area and all other relevant considerations the board decided that, excluding yatris who would travel by helicopters on either route to Panjtarni, 7,500 pilgrims would be allowed to register for Yatra- 2016 per day, per route basis”, he said. These are traditional Pahalgam route through south of the Valley and shorter Baltal route via capital Srinagar.
The spokesman further said that the board noted the steps taken by CEO, Mr. P. K. Tripathi, to rationalise the distribution of yatra permit forms for advance registration of pilgrims through 432 designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Yes Bank spread over 32 states and Union Territories as compared to 430 such branches in 30 states and UTs during 2015 yatra and directed him to take all required steps to commence advance registration of pilgrims from February 29 for both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
Reiterating that every pilgrim must obtain compulsory health certificate (CHC) from doctors or hospitals nominated by the states and UTs before applying to the nearest located designated bank branch for getting a yatra permit, the board advised the CEO to once again send out an appeal to all potential pilgrims to consult their doctors before embarking on the pilgrimage even after having obtained a health certificate some weeks earlier.
The board also directed CEO to take timely steps for ensuring uninterrupted telecom connectivity in the yatra area during this year’s pilgrimage. Appreciating the services rendered by the Langar organization during last year’s yatra, the board expected continued cooperation from them during this year’s pilgrimage.
Those others who attended Thursday’s meeting include its members, Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Mr. Vijay Dhar, Ms. Sunita Narain, Pandit Bhajan Sopori, Mr. D.C. Raina, and Dr. Chander Mouli Raina. Spiritual leader and founder of Art of Living Foundation Sri Sri Ravi Shankar participated in the discussions via teleconferencing.
