SRINAGAR, INDIA, April 23, 2021 (Deccan Chronicle): The registration for this year’s Amarnath yatra has been suspended temporarily in view of the grim and worrisome COVID-19 situation across the country. Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) on Thursday announced that it is constantly monitoring the situation and that the registration would be restarted once it improves. The annual pilgrimage spreading over 56 days to the revered cave-shrine at a height of 13,000 feet in lower-Himalayas in south Kashmir is scheduled to begin from both traditional Pahalgam and shorter Baltal routes on June 28, coinciding with Ashaad Chaturthi, an auspicious day in Hindu calendar, and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 22.
The authorities have this year increased the pilgrims’ intake by five thousand a day. They have also said that they are making arrangements to host over 600,000 devotees during the event after SASB decided to enhance the daily route-wise pilgrim ceiling from 7,500 to 10,000 on each route excluding the pilgrims who would be flying in helicopters to Amaranth. The SASB had on March 13 said that the pilgrims’ intake had been increased “considering the carrying capacity of the existing tracks and other available infrastructure in the yatra area.” It, however, also said that the yatra would be held “as per COVID-19 SOPs developed by the government.” J&K’s Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of the SASB had directed the issuance of special invitations to Akhada Parishads and Acharya Parishads, and various religious leaders.