Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 7: As registration of pilgrims for annual Shri Amarnath ji pilgrimage today touched one lakh, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has, for the first time, opened its registration centres in small and far-off States like Nagaland and Puducherry to have wider reach and give access to people from all over the country to perform yatra to holy cave of Lord Shiva in South Kashmir Himalayas, starting July 2.
According to sources, registration of pilgrims in 432 designated bank branches all over the country today touched one lakh as against this year’s quota of 7.2 lakh. The registration is progressing smoothly. It generally picks up close to the days of pilgrimage while large number of yatris reach Jammu and Srinagar, the two capital cities of the State, directly for yatra.
“The option of on-spot registration in Jammu and Srinagar will remain open this year too, like the previous years, but very few pilgrims can be registered on spot and, therefore, the Shrine Board wants the pilgrims to reach Jammu or Srinagar duly registered for pilgrimage,’’ sources said, adding the SASB has increased number of registration centres across the country from 420 to 432 this year.
While Puducherry and Nagaland have been added as registration centres for the first time this year, the North Eastern States like Manipur and Mizoram were already connected to registration centres through the designated banks there, sources said pointing out that the SASB wants to give wider reach to the pilgrims all across the country through 432 registration centres to come for the pilgrimage duly registered.
“Registration of one lakh pilgrims so far with the designated bank branches was a healthy sign as a little less than three months were still left for start of the yatra on July 2. The pilgrims can register themselves even during the yatra for days ahead subject to availability of quota. The yatra will conclude on August 18 coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan,’’ they said.
According to sources, 15,000 thousand pilgrims can register every day for Amarnath ji from July 2 to August 18-7500 each for traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal tracks, which takes number of total pilgrims, who can register themselves for 48 days long yatra this year to 7.2 lakh.
As many pilgrims from different parts of the country reach Jammu and Srinagar without registration during the days of yatra, the Shrine Board was likely to keep the option of on-spot registration open for the yatris at both Jammu and Srinagar cities to facilitate pilgrimage and ensure that the yatris don’t have to return without performing the yatra.
However, the Shrine Board wants the pilgrims to come registered through designated branches by fulfilling all formalities as the pilgrims might not get desired date at on-spot registration counters.
Meanwhile, the recee teams of the Shrine Board to assess snow this winter and time the clearance operations can take, will leave for both Pahalgam and Baltal tracks in the start of May after re-opening of Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State as clear picture starts emerging by then.
“The snow clearance operations and repair of track by the authorities will start after return of the recee teams,’’ sources said, adding this winter there had been very less snowfall as compared to previous years, which would make the clearance operations and repair of both the tracks easier.
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