Amarnath yatra: Heavy rush for registration on day 1

Amarnath yatra: Heavy rush for registration on
day 1
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 10
With religious fervour, the registration for the annual Amarnath yatra began across the country today. This year the registration slips for both traditional Pahalgam as well as Baltal routes have been printed in pink and blue colours, respectively.

As soon as the registration process began at 3 pm, a large number of pilgrims were seen visiting the designated bank branches to get the registration slips. Every pilgrim has to pay Rs 15 to get the yatra registration slip, which will also provide an accidental insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh to him/her.

This year, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) has made these slips mandatory for paying obeisance before the Ice Lingam at the holy cave shrine at a height of 13,500 feet. The pilgrims will have to show the slip while paying obeisance at the cave shrine, a senior official of the SASB told The Tribune.

Last year, some complaints were received that the pilgrims were paying obeisance at the shrine without having registration slips. This year, the pilgrimage would be held between June 29 and August 13 i.e. Raksha Bandhan.

Meanwhile, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a member of the SASB, said, “The date of the commencement of the yatra was determined with a view to ensuring, as far as possible, that the yatris were not stranded, as in the past. As a member of the SASB, I say that the allegations levelled by a section of religious or other organisations are baseless”.

He added that, “June 15 is Jaisht Poornima, which is not a good day for the commencement of the yatra, as it is Dwanksha Yoga on that day. However, June 29 is a Wednesday, Maasa Shivratri having Rohini Nakshatra and Subha Yoga, which is good for the commencement of the pilgrimage”.

He also appealed to the people to stay away from rumours and believe in maintaining peace and harmony of the region. But there was no let up in the zeal of devotees as compared to the previous years, as with the formal beginning of the registration process for the yatra today, the enthusiastic devotees were singing religious hymns outside the bank branches.

Ujjwal Sharma, a resident of the Muthi area, who got the first registration slip from the Bahu Plaza branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, said, “For the last five years I am getting the first registration slip. It is my devotion towards Lord Shiva that gives me strength to face all challenges in life”.

Similarly, Vinod Anand, a resident of Samba, was the first to get the yatra registration slip at the Gole Market branch of J&K Bank. He said, “For the last nine years I have been paying obeisance at the holy cave shrine and have always been the first to get the registration slip”.

The SASB claimed that elaborate arrangements had been made for the smooth registration of the pilgrims at all registration counters across the country. “For this purpose, 121 branches of J&K bank, 24 branches of YES Bank and four branches of district cooperative banks have been designated across the country to issue registration slips,” said the SASB officials.