Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has announced that the annual pilgrimage to the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir will begin on July 3 and end on August 28, with this year’s pilgrimage scheduled to last for 57 days.The program was finalized in the meeting of Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board (SASB) chaired by Sinha. Addressing journalists, he said that the yatra would conclude on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. “The pilgrimage will begin on July 3 and end on Rakshabandhan on August 28… It will last for 57 days. The first puja will be held on Jyeshtha Purnima,” he said.Registration for the yatra will begin from April 15 and has been made mandatory. Pilgrims in the age group of 13 to 70 years will be eligible for the journey. Advance registration will be available both online and offline, with the facilities set up in over 550 designated bank branches across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir Bank, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Yes Bank.Pointing to better infrastructure and facilities, Sinha said participation in the pilgrimage has increased steadily in recent years. To enhance security, RFID cards will be mandatory for all pilgrims, while group accident insurance cover has been doubled from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.He also outlined major infrastructure upgrades including wider tracks, improved bridges and strengthened disaster response systems with deployment of mountain rescue teams and security personnel on both the Baltal and Nunawan routes.The pilgrimage will proceed on the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district, as authorities prepare for a large number of pilgrims this year.