More than 1.5 lakh pilgrims have so far registered for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage which commences on 28 June, said officials .
“Till date over 1.5 lakh yatris, including over 25000 pilgrims under the group registration category and 31 under the ex-India pilgrim category have registered for the yatra,” said an official at the Additional CEO of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) office. “We’re yet to compile the figures of those pilgrims who have booked for yatra through helicopters.”
Sources said more than 30000 pilgrims have registered for the yatra via helicopters. The registration for the annual Shri Amarnath Ji yatra started on March 1 this year, while helicopter booking began online on April 27.
The 60-day-long yatra shall commence on June 28 on the occasion of auspicious day of Jyestha Purnima, as per Hindu calendar, and conclude on August 26, on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan).
The SASB has designated 440 branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Yes Bank, located in 32 states and UTs, for the registration of the pilgrims. This year, a helpline facility with sort code 1364 has also been set up in the Additional CEO’s office to answer the queries of yatris.
Four on the spot registration facilities will also be made available for pilgrims aspiring to undertake the pilgrimage to the cave shrine. These facilities will be set up at Vaishnavi Dham, Saraswati Dham, Jammu Haat and Geeta Bhawan-Ram Mandir.