This year's annual Amarnath Yatra has been cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. However, "Aarti" will be facilitated online for the devotees. For the second successive year, Yatra has been cancelled due to pandemic.

The decision to cancel Yatra was announced by Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha after discussions with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

"In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, J&K government has decided that Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, annual pilgrimage would be symbolic only however, all the traditional religious rituals shall be performed at the Holy Cave Shrine as per past practice", official spokesman of the J&K government said.

Amarnath Cave
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Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also Chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board subsequently held detailed deliberations with Chief Secretary Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, DGP, Dilbag Singh, Principal Secretary Home Shaleen Kabra, and Principal Secretary to Lt Governor, Nitishwar Kumar, who is also the CEO of Shrine Board, and directed that devotees should be enabled to attend to morning and evening Aarti in online mode. He said it would help them to pay their obeisance while also avoiding and travel and exposure.

"It's important to save people's lives. So, it is not advisable to hold and conduct this year's pilgrimage in the larger public interest. Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board is aware of and respects the sentiments of millions of devotees, and to keep the sentiments alive, the Board shall continue the live telecast of morning and evening Aarti from the Holy Cave shrine," Lt Governor said.

Ritual of 'Chhari Mubark' to be performed

Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board CEO, Nitishwar Kumar, said, the shrine board has made the arrangements for the mace of Lord Shiva - Chhari Mubarak' to be taken to the holy cave on 22nd August when the yatra is to conclude coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

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"Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board has been assessing the Covid situation in the Union Territory and the country. Our focus is on containing the pandemic and strengthening health infrastructure," he observed.

The CEO, Nitishwar Kumar said that both morning telecast of Aarti at 6 AM and evening Aarti at 5 PM, each for 30 minutes, are to be live-streamed on the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine board official website and the app specifically dedicated for the devotees.

The 56-day Yatra to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva, located in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, was scheduled to start from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal on June 28 and culminate on August 22.

Amarnath

Earlier registration of Yatra was suspended on April 22

After a spike in COVID positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir, SASB had suspended registrations for this year's Yatra. The Board announced that after monitoring the prevailing COVID situation, an announcement regarding registrations will be made. Before the second wave of the Coronavirus, the SASB had announced the schedule for this year's 56-day-long Yatra. Earlier it was announced that this year's Yatra will be held as per COVID-19 SOPs developed by the government.

Yatra also cancelled in 2020 due to pandemic

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic across the world, the Amarnath Yatra was cancelled in the year 2020. The authorities had said that the Yatra would begin on July 21 and continue till August, however, due to the surge in covid-19 positive cases, the decision was rolled back.

Notably, Amarnath Yatra was cancelled mid-way in the year 2019 in wake of the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir on August 05, 2019. 

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