Amarnath yatra commences on June 28, registration from April 1: All you need to know

The annual 56-day Amarnath yatra will begin on June 28 and will conclude, as is the norm, on the day of Raksha Bandhan on August 22, PTI reported quoting officials. Registration for the same will begin on April 1. The decision was taken at the 40th board meeting of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) chaired by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, the officials said.

Also read: Isha Mahashivratri 2021: Sadhguru launches Missed Call campaign to #FreeTNTemples from state control

Here is everything you need to know about this year’s yatra:

1) Registration for the pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high Himalayan cave shrine in south Kashmir will begin on April 1 through 446 designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and YES Bank in 37 states and Union Territories.

2) Yatris will have to secure the prescribed compulsory health certificates before seeking their advance registration from the nearest designated bank

3) This year, Yatra will commence from both the routes — the traditional 46-km Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and 12-km Baltal in Ganderbal district. 

4) Since the yatra will be undertaken amid the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19 SOPs will be put in place.

5) No person below the age of 13 years and above the age of 75 years will be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage

6) The daily route-wise pilgrims ceiling from 7,500 per day per route to 10,000. The number doesn’t include yatris who would travel by helicopters.

7) A free-of-cost battery car service up and down of the 2.75-km-long Baltal to Domel stretch will be introduced this year.

8) The SASB has approved to increase the remunerations for Pujaris (priests) from the existing Rs 1,000 per day to Rs 1,500 per day for the next three years, PTI reported quoting officials. 

9) The accidental insurance cover for yatris and service providers has been increased from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh and for ponies from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.

10) The Lt Governor has directed for sending special invites to ‘Akhada Parishads, Acharya Parishads. He has also directed for exploring the possibility of establishing counters at prominent religious places across the country for the facilitation of Sadhu and Sant Samaj.

11) The Lt Governor has also directed the officials to upgrade the present healthcare facilities on both the routes with latest equipment and augmenting the strength of the medical staff to handle emergencies.

12) He has also directed for making telecom services operational at the holy cave and across the yatra routes two weeks prior to the commencement of pilgrimage on June 28.

13) The Lt Governor has further directed for the up-gradation of sanitation capacity.

14) The morning and evening ‘Aarti’ (prayers) will be live telecasted for devotees across the globe.

15) Pilgrims can download the ‘Shri Amarnathji Yatra’ App available on the Google play store to get real-time information about the Yatra and for availing several services online.