Shri Amarnathji Yatra resumes on both routes
Srinagar (Kashmir), July 9 -On the directions of the Governor, Mr. N. N. Vohra, who is the Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the Chief Executive Officer of the Board this morning rushed to the Holy Cave of Shri Amarnathji, to review the arrangements for the pilgrims in view of the heavy rainfall during the past two days in the Yatra area.
At the Holy Cave, the CEO, interacted with the officials of all Agencies engaged in the conduct of the Yatra and reviewed the arrangements in regard to sanitation, water and power supply, Langar operations, medicare, queue management, etc. He also interacted with a large number of Yatris and enquired about the arrangements at the Holy Cave and at the various Camp locations and enroute.
Meanwhile, the movement of Yatris along both the routes (Pahalgam as well as Baltal) to the Holy Cave Shrine has been progressing satisfactorily since early this morning and, as per available reports from the Holy Cave Shrine, about 12,000 Yatris had paid obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum by today afternoon making the total number of pilgrims to over 2 Lakh who had darshan so far.
Referring to the weather conditions in the Yatra area, the CEO stated that as per the Meteorological Department’s weather forecast for the next 5 days, i.e. from 10th July to 14th July, the sky is likely to remain cloudy in the Kashmir Division; it will remain generally cloudy on 10th July and 11th July and partly cloudy from 12th to 14th July, 2011. He advised all those who intend to visit the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji, to ascertain weather conditions in the Yatra area before embarking on their pilgrimage. The details of weather forecasts are available on the website of the Indian Meteorological Department for weather in Jammu and weather in Srinagar. .
The CEO reiterated his earlier several appeals regarding the adherence to the Board’s Advisories (Do’s and Don’ts) and added that the Yatris must not to stop at places which are marked by warning notices; must not smoke or carry/consume any kind of narcotic or alcoholic substance; not to use slippers, as there are steep rises and falls on the route to the Holy Cave. They must wear shoes with laces and not attempt any short cuts on the route, as doing so would be dangerous, nor try to overtake others in difficult stretches of the track.
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The CEO said that as the Yatra traverses through high mountains, facing strong winds, the Yatris need to carry adequate woolen clothing, a small umbrella (which covers the head with an elastic band around the forehead and supported by a strap around the chin), wind-cheater, raincoat, sleeping bag, waterproof shoes, torch, walking stick with a proper hand grip, cap (preferably a monkey cap), gloves, jacket, woolen socks and trousers. He added that these are essential as the climate is unpredictable and changes abruptly from sunny weather to rain or snow and the temperature may sometimes abruptly fall to 5 degree Celsius or lower. For ladies, saree is not a suitable dress for the Yatra. Salwar kameez, pant-shirt or a track-suit will be more comfortable.
Before hiring a pony, dandi or a labourer the Yatri must satisfy himself that the ponywalla, the labourer or the dandiwalla is duly registered and carries an ID card. The Yatris can do the hiring at rates fixed by the local administration, at the camps at Baltal, Nunwan (Pahalgam), Panjtarni etc. The pilgrims must take care to see that the porters and horses/ponies with their luggage move close to them as it may be difficult to trace them in case they get separated from each other. This is necessary as the Yatris may suddenly need something from their luggage. During the Yatra from Pahalgam/Baltal onwards the Yatris must keep their clothes and eatables in a suitable waterproof bag to avoid these getting wet.
The Yatris have been further advised to carry sufficient money to pay for their accommodation at Base Camps and at other halting stations enroute the Holy Cave and for meeting other personal requirements. To enable the Yatra authorities to take urgent necessary action in case a Yatri is involved in any emergency, the Yatris are advised to keep in their pockets a note containing the name/address/mobile telephone number of any other Yatri proceeding for Darshan on the same date and route as they are following. They must also carry their identity card/driving license and the Yatra Permit issued by the Shrine Board. Every Yatri is advised to carry all the medicines which he takes daily and, besides, some general medicines such as Glucose, Disprin, Combiflam, Move/Iodex, etc. They should also carry a water bottle, dry fruits, roasted baked grams/channa, toffees, sufficient chocolates, etc. for use during the journey. Further, the Yatris should keep some Cold Cream/Vaseline/Sun Screen with them to protect the skin from the cold winds/sun. They have also been advised to keep dark glasses/goggles handy. While trekking, they need to relax for a short while on steep inclines and not exert beyond their normal capacity. The best way to complete the Yatra trek is to maintain a slow and steady pace and not unnecessarily exhaust/tire themselves by walking fast. The Yatris must also follow the instructions issued by the Yatra Administration from time to time.
It was also informed that all relevant information regarding the Shri Amarnathji Yatra is available on the Board’s website “www.shriamarnathjishrine.com”. The Yatris can also seek information from the Shrine Board Control Room at 0194-2501679.
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