Before the beginning of this year's annual pilgrimage, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on Wednesday released lists of permitted and banned food items at the (community kitchens) "Langars".
Only permitted items will be allowed to be served in these community kitchens for the pilgrims en route twin tracks of the holy cave shrine
Officials said that the focus is on the health of the pilgrims and in view of that the "Langar" organizations have been asked to serve only nutritious and healthy meals to the pilgrims en route to the cave shrine.
"No junk and fried food will be allowed but only nutritious meals will be served at around 120 "Langars" to be established this year for the pilgrims at twin routes leading to the cave shrine," reports said.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has also circulated a menu (permitted, banned), applicable to all langar organizations, food stalls, shops, and other establishments to remain operational during the yatra period, said an official.
As per reports the District Magistrates of Ganderbal and Anantnag will ensure action against those who violate the guidelines.
Permitted food items during Amarnath Yatra
Cereals, Pulses, Green Vegetables, Potato, Saag, Nutrela Soya Chunks), Besan Curry, Plain Dal, Green Salad, Fruits and Sprouts, Plain Rice, Zeera Rice, Khichdi and Nutrela Rice, Roti / Phulka, Dal Roti, Missi Roti, Makki ki Roti (unfried, without oil/butter), Tandoori Roti, Bread / Kulcha / Double Roti, Rusk, Chocolate, Biscuits, Roasted Chana and Jaggery, Sambar, Idli, Uttapam, Poha, Vegetable sandwich (without cream/butter/cheese), Bread Jam, Kashmiri Naan (girda) and steamed Dumplings (vegetable Momos), Herbal Tea, Coffee, Low Fat Curd, Sharbat, Lemon Squash / Water, Low Fat Milk, Fruit Juice, Vegetable Soup, Mineral Water, Glucose (in standard packet form), Kheer (Rice / Sabudana), White Oats (Daliya), Figs, Raisins, Apricots, Other Dry fruits (only roasted / raw), Low Fat Milk Sawain, Honey, Boiled Sweets (candy), Roasted papad, Khakra, Til Ka Ladoo, Dhokla, Chikki (Guchak), Reweri, Phulian Makhane, Murmara, Dry Petha, Amla Muraba, Fruit Muraba, and Green Coconut.
Food items that are banned during Amarnath Yatra.
Meanwhile, the items completely banned are all Non Veg foods, Alcohol, Tobacco, Gutka, Pan Masala, Smoking, other intoxicants, Heavy Pullav / Fried Rice, Poori, Bathura, Pizza, Burgar, Stuffed Parantha, Dosa and Fried Roti, Bread with Butter, Cream Based Foods, Pickle, Chutney, Fried Papad, Chowmein and all other Fried / Fast Food, Cold Drinks and Karrah, Halwa, Jalebi, Gulab Jamun, Laddu Khoya Burfi, Rasgulla and all other Halwai items, Crunchy Snacks (high in fat and salts) chips / Kurkure, Matthi, Namkeen Mixture, Pakora, Samosa, Fried Dry Fruits and all other Deep Fried items.
This year's 62 days Amarnath Yatra will commence on July 1
This year's holy Amarnath Yatra will be 62 days long as the pilgrimage will start on July 1 and culminate on August 31 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. It is for the first time that Amarnath Yatra will be 62 days long.
In 2022, the pilgrimage lasted 43 days from June 30 to August 11. The pilgrimage was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID and only symbolic 'Chhari Pujan' was performed by selective priests.
In 2019, the yatra was curtailed by about 15 days ahead of the August 5 decisions of the Central Government to abrogate Article 370 and Article 35-A and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
The Yatra would commence simultaneously from both the routes – the Pahalgam track in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district.
Live telecast of aarti
Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) will also enable live telecast of the morning and evening Aarti (prayers) for devotees across the globe. Shri Amarnathji Yatra's App has been made available on the Google Play store to get real-time information about the Yatra, and weather and for availing of several services online.
The expert panel had cautioned against the consumption of cold drinks and fried junk food.
An experts' committee, formed following the Supreme Court's concern over the large number of pilgrim deaths in 2012, had cautioned against the consumption of cold drinks and fried junk food as there is a shortage of oxygen en route to the cave shrine.
The SASB has also asked the "Langar" organizers to desist from distributing fried food items and cold drinks as they are not good for health in low oxygen conditions. It has instructed the organizers to display the menu of the food items being prepared and distributed by them to the pilgrims.
