57-day Amarnath pilgrimage from July 3; registrations from April 15 | India News
New Delhi: The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave temple of Amarnath in south Kashmir will begin on July 3 and end on August 28, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced, adding that this year’s pilgrimage will last for 57 days.The schedule was finalized in a meeting of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) chaired by Sinha. He told reporters that the pilgrimage will end on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. “The pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and end with Rakshabandhan on August 28… It will span 57 days. The first pooja will be held on Jyeshtha Purnima,” he said.Registration for the journey will open from April 15 and has been made mandatory. Pilgrims aged 13 to 70 years will be eligible to undertake the journey. Advance registration will be available both online and offline with the facility set up at over 550 designated bank branches across the country including Jammu & Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Yes Bank.Sinha said pilgrimage participation has steadily increased in recent years, pointing to improved infrastructure and facilities. To enhance security, RFID cards will be mandatory for all pilgrims, while the group accidental insurance cover has been doubled from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.He outlined upgrades to key infrastructure including widened tracks, improved bridges, and strengthening of disaster response systems including deployment of mountain rescue teams and security personnel along both the Baltal and Nunwan routes.The pilgrimage will proceed along the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steep 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, with authorities gearing up for a large turnout of devotees this year.
