Decision on organising Amarnath Yatra to be taken on reviewing situation in coming future

On Wednesday, the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) unanimously resolved to take an appropriate decision on whether the Amarnath Yatra can go ahead after reviewing the situation in the coming future. The members of the board expressed their apprehension that it might not be possible to organise the Amarnath Yatra this year in the wake of the novel coronavirus crisis. At the same time, they maintained that the situation was dynamic in nature.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu presided over the SASB meeting at the Raj Bhavan in Jammu. The meeting was attended by DC Raina; Professor. Anita Billawaria, Dr. Sudershan Kumar, Dr. CM Seth, Professor Vishwamurti Shastri. Chief Executive Officer Bipul Pathak, Additional Chief Executive Officer Anup Kumar Soni, and other senior officers of the board. Currently, there are 380 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir out of which 81 persons have recovered while 5 casualties have been reported. 

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The Amarnath Yatra

One of the sacred pilgrimage destinations of India, Amarnath is famous for the natural formation of Shiva Linga from the snow. The holy cave is located at a height of 12,756 feet from the sea level and remains covered with snow for most of the year. A large number of devotees across the world throng Amarnath. In February 2020, the SASB had announced that the Amarnath pilgrimage would commence from June 23 till August 3. 

There are two routes which the pilgrims can take to reach the Amarnath holy cave. Some people prefer to walk towards the shrine from the Baltal region which is only 14 km away. On the other hand, the longer route starts at Pahalgam, and helicopter services are available for those people who cannot walk a lot. 

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