INVC NEWS
New Delhi :The Shrine Board has announced that pilgrims will be provided with free helmets, which must be worn while undertaking the yatra due to the risks of landslides and stone-falling incidents. The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 meters in the South Kashmir Himalayas, is scheduled to commence on July 1. Most of the preparations for the pilgrimage have been completed.
Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, the CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), visited the site to assess the arrangements and stated that devotees have been advised to wear helmets during the yatra. The Shrine Board will provide these helmets free of cost to the pilgrims. Bhandari emphasized that certain sections of the yatra route are considered sensitive due to landslides and stone falls, making it mandatory for pilgrims to wear helmets while passing through these areas.
He further mentioned that wearing helmets is also necessary for devotees using mules during the yatra. The number of registrations for the yatra this year is 10 percent higher than the previous year. The Shrine Board and the Union Territory Administration are fully prepared to welcome the pilgrims. The first batch of pilgrims will depart for the valley from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on June 30.
Bhandari informed that the yatra will continue until August 31 and will span 62 days, making it the longest-ever pilgrimage. Over three lakh pilgrims have registered so far. Two routes can be taken to reach Baltal, including a 14.5 km trek and a 32 km trek from Chandanwari to the holy cave temple at an altitude of 13,000 feet. This year, improvements have been made to the yatra tracks on both routes.
