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| Amarnath Yatra 2021: SASB likely to meet next week, decide pilgrim count, possible dates | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 27: The annual Amarnath pilgrimage is just a month away and there is no final word about whether the Yatra will be allowed at full scale or curtailed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir. The registration facility for pilgrims continues to remain suspended.
As per the reports coming to fore, the government has not taken any decision to whether to allow Yatra at the full scale this year or not. The 56-day pilgrimage was scheduled to commence from June 28 this year.
Sources said that the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is going to hold a meeting in which the COVID-19 situation shall be discussed threadbare and also whether the Yatra will be allowed to commence at full scale or with a limited number of pilgrims.
Furthermore, as per the sources, the government was mulling to start helicopter service from Srinagar to Baltal and battery car services on some part of the journey en route. Apart from this, new efforts were being put to make pilgrimage more convenient.
The yatra had to be canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while in the year 2019, due to the process of repealing Article 370, the yatra was cut short on August 1 ahead of schedule. Two years later, more pilgrims are expected to arrive.
In the year 2011, 6 lakh 36000 devotees attended the pilgrimage while as in the year 2012; the number was 6 lakh 20,000. In 2013 3 lakh 53000 participated the yatra while as in 2014 3 lakh 72000 were there.
In 2015, as many as 3 lakh 52000 paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, in 2016; the number stood at 2 lakh 20000. In 2017, it was 2 lakh 60000 and in 2018, the number was 2 lakh 85000.
In 2019, there were as many as 3 lakh 42000 devotees and in the year 2020, the yatra was canceled due to COVID. The cave, housing the ice-sheet, is situated 14,500 meters above the sea level in the Himalayan mountains.
The divisional commissioners of both the regions of Jammu as well as of Kashmir were asked to make preparations for this year’s Yatra as the government is expecting a huge rush of pilgrims. |
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