Amarnath Yatra to commence on June 23; registration will begin from April 1

New Delhi: Annual pilgrimage for holy cave shrine of Amarnath will commence from on June 23 and conclude on 3rd August. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), on Friday (February 14) presided over the 37th Board Meeting held at Raj Bhavan, Jammu, according to the shrine board

"The board decided that a 42-day yatra would commence on 23rd June, 2020, an auspicious day of Jagan Nath Rath Yatra as per Hindu calendar, and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on 3rd August, 2020," Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), Bipul Pathak said in Jammu.

The registration for the 42-day-long yatra will begin from April 1. This year's pilgrimage will be longer by two days against the last year's 40 days. The pilgrimage in South Kashmir Himalayas had a duration of 60 days in 2018.

Considering the success of the pilot project of online registration of limited number of yatris in 2019, the board decided to increase the quota of online registration, a spokesman of the board said.

No person below the age of 13 years and above the age of 75 years shall be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage, the board spokesman said. 

On August 2, 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had issued a security advisory asking Amarnath pilgrims and tourists to leave Kashmir as soon as possible, citing terror threat in the Valley.

The advisory was issued just before the Centre announced the nullification of Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territories on August 5.

Notably, an awareness campaign would be launched in cooperation with the Information Ministry. All the details relating to the Yatra would be placed on the Board`s official website- www.Shriamarnathjishrine.com.