Amarnath yatra: 2.20 lakh pilgrims registered in a month

Jammu, June 16: Nearly 2.20 lakh pilgrims have been registered in a month for the pilgrimage to the 13,500-feet cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas.

As many as 2,19,190 lakh pilgrims for Amarnath yatra have been registered at various registration counters and online centres across the country, Nodal officer of Registration Officials and Vice President of Jammu and Kashmir Bank Abdul Hamid said.

The registration process is going on smoothly without any problem, he said.

As many as 1,09,018 pilgrims have registered themselves for pilgrimage to the cave shrine via Baltal route, while 1,10,172 pilgrims opted for the traditional Pahalgam-Amaranth route via south Kashmir, he said.

The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) began the registration process on May 10 for the yatra which will commence on June 29 and culminate on August 13.

"The registration counters have been set up at 121 designated branches of the J&K Bank, 24 of the YES Bank and four of the District Cooperative Banks," SASB spokesman.

The Shrine Board, at its meeting on February 18 this year, has curtailed the period of the annual pilgrimage by 15 days. The yatra will commence simultaneously from Baltal and Chandanwari routes on June 29 and culminate on August 13.

Traditionally, the yatra used to run for two months beginning June 15. There has been no increase in the fee of Rs 15 for registration either through the counters or the internet, the spokesman said.

PTI