Offline registrations for Amarnath Yatra begins

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 26 (ANI): Offline registrations have begun for the annual Amarnath Yatra that begins on June 29.

According to Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) South Jammu, Manu Hansa, the offline registrations began on Wednesday and tokens for the same are being given to the pilgrims.

“We have started our offline registrations here at the Saraswati Dham. The registrations are being done based on the Aadhar Cards after which the pilgrims are being given tokens after which they have to go to the registration centres,” the sub-divisional magistrate said.

The three registration centres for the Yatra are located at Vaishnavi Dham, Mahajan Hall and Panchayat Bhavan. The SDM said “We have received 1000 registrations for the June 29 visit. The three offline registration centres are located in Vaishnavi Dham, Panchayat, Mahajan Hall and Panchayat Bhavan.”

“No pilgrim below the age of 13, or above the age of 70 and ladies with no more than six weeks of pregnancy will be allowed. The pilgrims should either have a health certificate or can opt for getting their health certificates during their check-ups done during the registration,” the official said.

A daily quota of pilgrims will be released by the Sri Amarnath Shrine board, said the official. “We are aiming to complete atleast 2,000 registrations today. Those who have completed their registrations online do not have to come here,” he said.

The official said help desks have been arranged at the waiting areas “Six token centres, water filters and a dining hall are provided for assistance to all our pilgrims and ensure a smooth registration process,” he said talking about the facilities available.

Visuals showed pilgrims queuing up from early this morning to finish their registration process.

Ishwar Suman, a pilgrim from Rajasthan said, “Our love and affection for Baba Bholenath has led us to stand in the queue hungry and thirsty. People from all over the country have come here today. We are very excited about our journey.”

Additionally, the Udhampur Deputy Commissioner(DC) Saloni Rai spoke on the security arrangements for the yatra and said “The security arrangements are being made properly. Additional deployment is being made along the National Highway because Udhampur lies on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. We have made arrangements for 26 accommodation centres for 6000 pilgrims. Nodal officers have been recruited at the accommodation centres to make sure the best preparations are done. There have been made arrangements of E-KYC centres at the railway stations for registration purposes.”

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday visited the Shri Amarnath Yatra Base Camp at Baltal located in Ganderbal district and reviewed the arrangements for the holy pilgrimage.

Amarnath Yatra is an annual significant pilgrimage for Hindus that shall commence on June 29 and conclude on August 19 this year.

The Yatra involves a challenging trek to the Amarnath cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. The yatra attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees each year, making security a critical concern.

Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath Shrine stands at 3,888m, 46 Km from Pahalgam and 14 Kms from Baltal.

According to information provided by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, though the original pilgrimages subscribes that the yatra (journey) be undertaken from Srinagar, the more common practice is to begin journey at Chandanwari, and cover the distance to Amarnath and back in five days. Pahalgam is 96 Kms from Srinagar.

Amarnath is considered to be one of the major Hindu Dhams and the holy cave is considered the abode of Lord Shiva who is enshrined in the form of an ice-lingam in this cave. This lingam is formed naturally, which is believed to wax and wane with the moon.