5,000 pilgrims register for Amarnath yatra

Nearly 5,000 pilgrims have been registered for the annual Amarnath yatra, with officials here saying that the actual rush would pick up next week for which the government has geared up arrangements.

As many as 93 registration centres have been opened all over the country for the convenience of the pilgrims, official sources said.

The sources said while 3,800 have been registered for pilgrimage via Baltal route, 1,200 have been been registered for pilgrimage via Pahalgam.

"The registeration rush would pick up next week," they said, adding that as many as 4,99,720 yatra slips have been made available for the expected pilgrims at these centres throughout the country.

Delhi has a quota of 86,800 slips which are available at 19 places, while 78,000 yatra slips are available at four places in Gujarat.

In Jammu division, a total of 17,280 yatra slips have been made available. Of these, a quota of 14,400 slips have been allotted to Jammu district, 1,200 to Kathua, 600 slips to Udhampur district and 360 slips each have been allotted to Rajouri, Poonch and Doda.

In Jammu city, the yatra slips are available at registeration counter of J&K Bank at exhibition grounds, which are available between 1300 hours to 1800 hours. The registeration of yatris opened in Jammu city yesterday. 224 pilgrims obtained slips for the yatra through Baltal route and 329 others got slips from Chandanwari route.