Amarnath Yatra Travel Update: Here is Why Visit to Dham Will be Different This Year

Amarnath Yatra Travel: The J&K administration expects six to eight lakh pilgrims in order to see Lord Shiva's momentary residence in the shape of an ice Lingam.

Amarnath Yatra Travel Update: The Amarnathji Yatra, which has been postponed for two years, is slated to be the year’s biggest festival in the Himalayan foothills. The Jammu and Kashmir administration expects six to eight lakh pilgrims to trek through the Himalayas in south Kashmir in order to see Lord Shiva’s temporary residence in the shape of an ice Lingam. According to custom, the journey will begin on June 30 and go for 43 days, ending on August 11, the day of Raksha Bandhan.

Jammu and Kashmir has undergone an unprecedented transformation in just the last 1.5 years. With the help of the leadership at the Centre and the enterprising youth of the state, J&K UT has signed investment proposals worth Rs 52,088 crore in one year. In the past six months, 80 lakh tourists visited the Valley, a number that suggests people have started feeling secure and welcome in the Union Territory. Rather than ‘negotiating’ for peace, the UT administration has uprooted the very ecosystem of terrorism.

Amarnath Yatra is all set to get bigger and better!

• J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is personally supervising all the Yatra arrangements. This year it will be a historic pilgrimage with top-notch facilities in place – safe drinking water, lodging, sanitation, skywalks, spiritual theme parks — and the administration is ready for all challenges.
• The UT administration is seeking to retain at least half of the Yatris for an additional 3-4 days in the Valley, with a five-tier security cover in place, recently repaired highways, 75 new tourism spots, and renovation of religious and historic structures in Kashmir.
• A large number of new Yatri Niwas are being built, some with temporary accommodations and others with hotel infrastructure. This year, the administration has made environmental protection a top priority, therefore cleanliness and garbage disposal will be prioritised.
• All pilgrims will receive a wristband with microchips connected to satellite towers after registration. This is the first time pilgrims will be closely monitored; the administration wants to dispel rumours that the Yatra is harmful and unsafe.
• Along the tracks, media units will be put up to offer advisories to tourists and inspire them to complete the voyage with a sense of security by highlighting the UT administration’s development success stories.
• Along the tracks, media units will be put up to offer advisories to tourists and inspire them to complete the journey in a safe manner by highlighting the UT administration’s development success stories.
• Checkpoint functioning has been enhanced and traffic control has been given special impetus so it does not interfere with the general public’s convenience. The newly-built Navyug Tunnel connecting Banihal in Jammu with Qazigund in south Kashmir is under review for security measures.

This historic Yatra is the best expression of Kashmir’s multifaceted culture, which fundamentalists do not want to be popularised in the mainstream. Every year, the pilgrimage is greeted with open arms in the Valley, and Kashmiris have always welcomed visitors with open hearts. Their hospitality and charity are well-known.

The UT administration is distributing short videos portraying the voyage to Shiva-Parvati’s with a heavenly, rewarding holiday in Kashmir, the country of saints and peers, to reach a wider audience across India. This year, the pilgrim vehicles will be equipped with RFID-based (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking and surveillance systems that will track and monitor each pilgrim’s movements along the route.

There are eight base hospitals on the Baltal route and twenty on the Pahalgam route, as well as medical camps along the way. From Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, the insurance coverage has been raised. On the 2.75-kilometer Baltal-Domel stretch, the Shrine Board will also provide complimentary battery car service to pilgrims.

Mountain Rescue Teams (MRTs) of JK Police are receiving specialised training from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRS) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). On the Yatra itineraries, they would be deployed in a few challenging terrains. Companies from the CRPF would be deployed to guarantee a safe pilgrimage. BSF, ITBP, Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB), CISF, and, of course, the Indian Army will be among the other companies.

The J&K Director General of Police has reviewed additional security measures being taken along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. He has taken stock of all Yatri Niwas stays and transit camps en route to the National Highway.

The UT administration reconstituted 21 tourism development authorities on Wednesday, with the Yatra and summer visitor footfalls in mind. Registration for the Yatra began two weeks ago at selected 566 bank branches throughout the districts and on the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB).

The journey will take two courses – the traditional 48-km from Nunwan to the cave shrine from Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, and the more challenging 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district in central Kashmir. The pilgrimage will give people across the nation a chance to experience heaven in its best phase in three decades. The Naya Kashmir has much to offer and an organic narrative from the Yatris will help spread the word to the rest of the country.

Valley dwellers have converted their homes into homestays with the help of the Indian Army to boost tourism and the economy. In the wake of spiritual tourism in the country, the Department of Tourism has started organising cultural events during major festivals. With the resurrection of the Pracheen Pandava Gufa, Parshuram Temple, Raghunath Temple, Sheetal Nath Temple, Ziyarat of Hazrat Sheikh Dawood, etc., the administration is hoping to attract tourists and increase Indians’ confidence in the Valley.

(With inputs from IANS)