2 lakh pilgrims registered for Amarnath yatra

Nearly two lakh pilgrims have so far secured advance registration for the annual 40-day pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir, scheduled to begin simultaneously from Baltal and Chandanwari routes later this month.
"As of now, nearly two lakh pilgrims had secured advance registration through the designated bank branches, group registration facility and booking of helicopter tickets for shri amarnathji yatra 2017," Chief Executive Officer, Shrine Board, Umang Narula, said at a meeting chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra here.
Vohra, who is also the chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), had convened the meeting to review the arrangements for the yatra whichis scheduled to start on June 29.

Narula said the registration was being provided to the intending pilgrims since March 1 through 437 designated bank branches of the Punjab National Bank, J&K Bank and YES Bank, located in 32 States and UTs across the country.
The ongoing trend of registration shows that about 1200 persons are being registered every day and the maximum numbers are being registered from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and West Bengal, he said.
He said it was also noted that the advance registration via the Pahalgam route is slightly more preferred than the Baltal route and this conforms to the traditional pattern of the yatra.

As many as 143 groups have so far utilised the group registration facility which is being especially provided by the Shrine Board, he said.

The CEO said with the reduced helicopter fare for yatra 2017, as compared to previous years, pilgrims in larger numbers have booked tickets in advance.
This year, per passenger one way heli-fare for Neelgrath-Panjtarni is Rs 1,715 and Rs 2,950 for Pahalgam- Panjtarni, he said.
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which conducts the annual pilgrimage to the shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva, has issued advisories for the pilgrimage which involves a trek at an altitude of 14,000 feet.

People who wish to trek to the shrine must furnish medical certificates, the authorities said yesterday, adding that those below 13 or above 75 years of age will not be allowed to join the pilgrimage.