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This story is from April 12, 2022

8 lakh pilgrims expected at Amarnath this year: I&B ministry

8 lakh pilgrims expected at Amarnath this year: I&B ministry
Pilgrims progress on Amarnath Yatra (File photo)
SRINAGAR: This year’s Amarnath Yatra will be historic in terms of pilgrim footfall, as around six to eight lakh devotees are expected to turn up for the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in Pahalgam area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the Union Ministry of information and Broadcasting said on Monday. After a two-year gap, the 43-day annual pilgrimage will commence on June 30, with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.
In 2020 and 2021, the Yatra was conducted symbolically with just the mahants taking the holy mace to the Amarnath shrine in a chopper because of the pandemic; while in 2019, the pilgrimage was cancelled midway ahead of the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A in August that year.
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“Today, I met officials of the J&K administration, including the divisional and deputy commissioners. We were told that all necessary arrangements have been put in place for this year’s Yatra,” the I&B ministry’s secretary, Apurva Chand, told reporters in Srinagar.
Even as inclement weather is a challenging factor, as far as security arrangements are concerned, they have improved considerably which is evident from the huge tourist influx in Kashmir Valley, Chand said. “Hotels, houseboats and lodges are booked in advance which signifies a good security atmosphere,” he added.
J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha had recently said that in the past few months alone, a record number of tourists — around 80 lakh — have visited the Union Territory of J&K, said Chand, adding: “This hints that the atmosphere is peaceful”.
Chand said the I&B ministry has urged the J&K administration to prepare a short documentary on the Amarnath Yatra which will also showcase the other beautiful places of Kashmir. “We will widely circulate the documentary across the country and even globally,” he added.
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