Jammu, distribution of tokens for offline registration of Amarnath pilgrims began here on Wednesday as authorities successfully conducted a test drive of vehicles along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway before the start of the pilgrimage annual later this week, officials said.
The 52-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave of Amarnath will begin from the twin tracks - the 48-km traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam route at Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route at Ganderbal, the June 29.
The first group of pilgrims will leave Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu towards the valley on June 28. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid homage to the naturally formed ice shivlingam inside the cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas last year. Deputy Commissioner Ramban Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary said the rehearsal led by divisional commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, and additional director general of police, Jammu, Anand Jain, was successfully carried out from Bhagwati Nagar base camp to Banihal.
"The main objective of the drill was to assess any shortcomings in security parameters, logistics and other arrangements for the pilgrims en route to ensure their smooth yatra," Chaudhary said.
He said the travel surface along the highway, especially between Nashri and Banihal, was macadamized over the last few weeks to make the journey of commuters safe and easy. "Travel time between Nashri and Banihal was reduced to one hour from the previous three hours due to the poor condition of the road," the deputy commissioner said.
Chaudhary said the intake capacity of Yatri Niwas in Chanderkote and Banihal has been increased to 6,000, while there is also a provision to temporarily accommodate 25,000 people and provide them with food and shelter in case of a landslide.
As many as 20 langers (community kitchens) have been set up to facilitate the pilgrims, he said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban Anuj Kumar said foolproof security measures are in place in the district with a joint control room to monitor the movement of pilgrim vehicles through 44 CCTV cameras.
Officials working in emergency departments are also part of this joint control room to ensure quick response to any situation, he said.
Officials said the divisional commissioner and the ADGP visited various detention stations in both Udhampur and Ramban to review the arrangements. They also witnessed a mock drill conducted by police commandos in Banihal, officials said.
In Jammu, hundreds of eager pilgrims from outside Jammu and Kashmir waited for hours to receive their tokens for the offline Amarnath registration, which will begin at three counters on Friday.
The district administration has set up the token distribution center at Saraswati Dham near the Jammu railway station for pilgrims who want to register for the yatra in offline mode, officials said. “Three registration centres, Vaishnavi Dham, Panchayat Bhawan and Mahajan Hall, will start functioning in Jammu for offline registration from tomorrow. Only those pilgrims who have tokens issued by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board will be attended to at the registration centres,” said sub-divisional magistrate Manu Hansa.
He said the sanctuary board had given them 2,000 tokens for the twin tracks for tomorrow.
“A total of 12 counters, six each for Pahalgam and Baltal axis with separate waiting rooms, will be available for registration of pilgrims. At the three registration centers there will be separate information desks to help the pilgrims," said Hansa, who was additionally tasked with managing the yatra. He appealed to the pilgrims to maintain peace and wait their turn. The centers will open at 6 am daily until the daily quota is exhausted.
“We are happy with the measures taken by the J&K administration for the pilgrims. This is my first yatra and I will seek the Lord's blessings for the people and my country,” said Vishal, a resident of Rajasthan.
Govind Kumar from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh said that except during the Corona period, he has been a regular visitor to the Amarnath cave shrine since 2010. “I have always seen the government making the yatra a better experience for pilgrims with every passing year.” ", said.
Rakhi Jain, who came from Indore, said he was planning to perform the yatra for the last five years, but "today I got an opportunity and I am very happy about it." Jain said that he had reached the chip counter at 3 am.
Welcoming the yatris, Jammu additional district magistrate Shishir Gupta said the pilgrims should reach Bhagwati Nagar only a day before their scheduled departure. "Anyone who arrives earlier can avail facilities at 25 other places which the administration keeps ready," said Gupta, the nodal officer of the yatra.
He said medical certificates can be applied for at three local hospitals, while pilgrims over 70 years of age, children under 13 years of age and women more than six weeks pregnant will not be allowed to undertake the yatra.
The 52-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave of Amarnath will begin from the twin tracks - the 48-km traditional Nunwan-Pahalgam route at Anantnag and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route at Ganderbal, the June 29.
The first group of pilgrims will leave Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu towards the valley on June 28. More than 4.5 lakh pilgrims paid homage to the naturally formed ice shivlingam inside the cave shrine in the Kashmir Himalayas last year. Deputy Commissioner Ramban Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary said the rehearsal led by divisional commissioner, Jammu, Ramesh Kumar, and additional director general of police, Jammu, Anand Jain, was successfully carried out from Bhagwati Nagar base camp to Banihal.
"The main objective of the drill was to assess any shortcomings in security parameters, logistics and other arrangements for the pilgrims en route to ensure their smooth yatra," Chaudhary said.
He said the travel surface along the highway, especially between Nashri and Banihal, was macadamized over the last few weeks to make the journey of commuters safe and easy. "Travel time between Nashri and Banihal was reduced to one hour from the previous three hours due to the poor condition of the road," the deputy commissioner said.
Chaudhary said the intake capacity of Yatri Niwas in Chanderkote and Banihal has been increased to 6,000, while there is also a provision to temporarily accommodate 25,000 people and provide them with food and shelter in case of a landslide.
As many as 20 langers (community kitchens) have been set up to facilitate the pilgrims, he said. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ramban Anuj Kumar said foolproof security measures are in place in the district with a joint control room to monitor the movement of pilgrim vehicles through 44 CCTV cameras.
Officials working in emergency departments are also part of this joint control room to ensure quick response to any situation, he said.
Officials said the divisional commissioner and the ADGP visited various detention stations in both Udhampur and Ramban to review the arrangements. They also witnessed a mock drill conducted by police commandos in Banihal, officials said.
In Jammu, hundreds of eager pilgrims from outside Jammu and Kashmir waited for hours to receive their tokens for the offline Amarnath registration, which will begin at three counters on Friday.
The district administration has set up the token distribution center at Saraswati Dham near the Jammu railway station for pilgrims who want to register for the yatra in offline mode, officials said. “Three registration centres, Vaishnavi Dham, Panchayat Bhawan and Mahajan Hall, will start functioning in Jammu for offline registration from tomorrow. Only those pilgrims who have tokens issued by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board will be attended to at the registration centres,” said sub-divisional magistrate Manu Hansa.
He said the sanctuary board had given them 2,000 tokens for the twin tracks for tomorrow.
“A total of 12 counters, six each for Pahalgam and Baltal axis with separate waiting rooms, will be available for registration of pilgrims. At the three registration centers there will be separate information desks to help the pilgrims," said Hansa, who was additionally tasked with managing the yatra. He appealed to the pilgrims to maintain peace and wait their turn. The centers will open at 6 am daily until the daily quota is exhausted.
“We are happy with the measures taken by the J&K administration for the pilgrims. This is my first yatra and I will seek the Lord's blessings for the people and my country,” said Vishal, a resident of Rajasthan.
Govind Kumar from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh said that except during the Corona period, he has been a regular visitor to the Amarnath cave shrine since 2010. “I have always seen the government making the yatra a better experience for pilgrims with every passing year.” ", said.
Rakhi Jain, who came from Indore, said he was planning to perform the yatra for the last five years, but "today I got an opportunity and I am very happy about it." Jain said that he had reached the chip counter at 3 am.
Welcoming the yatris, Jammu additional district magistrate Shishir Gupta said the pilgrims should reach Bhagwati Nagar only a day before their scheduled departure. "Anyone who arrives earlier can avail facilities at 25 other places which the administration keeps ready," said Gupta, the nodal officer of the yatra.
He said medical certificates can be applied for at three local hospitals, while pilgrims over 70 years of age, children under 13 years of age and women more than six weeks pregnant will not be allowed to undertake the yatra.
