Registration for Amarnath Yatra starts from March 1

JAMMU : Registration for this year’s annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath will start from March 1. The registration will be carried out through 433 branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Yes Bank.

This year’s pilgrimage will start, simultaneously on both the routes, from June 29 and end on Raksha Bandhan on August 7.

Keeping in view the carrying capacity of the tracks, availability of infrastructure in the yatra area and other considerations, it has been decided that 7,500 pilgrims per day per route will be allowed to register for the pilgrimage this year. This is excluding those who will be travel by helicopters.

The registration and issuance of yatra permit will be done on a first-come-first-serve basis. Four passport sized photographs are required during registration.

Chief executive officer (CEO) of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), PK Tripathi, said the detailed procedure to register for the pilgrimage has been uploaded on the board’s website: www.shriamarnathjishrine.com. It also contains application form and state-wise list of bank branches, with their addresses, where pilgrims can get themselves registered.

Tripathi said pilgrims will have to also furnish a compulsory health certificate when they register themselves and the form, and the format for the same, and state-wise list of doctors and medical institutes authorised to issue it, has been uploaded on the website. He said, “For this year only those health certificates will be considered which have been issued after February 10.”

People below 13 years or above 75 years, and women who are more than six weeks pregnant, will not be allowed.

Those who intend to travel by helicopter don’t require advanced registration as their helicopter ticket will suffice this. However, they will be required to produce the health certificate.