NEW DELHI, INDIA, January 21, 2016 (India Today): The annual yatra to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir will begin from July 2, the governing board said today. The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board approved the pilgrimage this year for 48 days, while the duration was 59 days last year. The board, however, did not specify the reason for curtailing the duration of the yatra. [HPI adds: Inclement weather striking during the yatra is a main concern, as it could trap thousands on the mountainous route.]
“The Board, keeping in view the foremost concern of safety and security of the pilgrims, decided that a 48-day Yatra would commence on 2nd July 2016, an auspicious day (Massik Shivratri) as per the Hindu Calendar and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandan) on 18th August 2016”, the Board’s spokesperson said.
Keeping in mind the present 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 on per-day per-route basis, Chief Executive Officer, P.K. Tripathi said.