The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, which remained suspended for the past three years, will begin from June 30.
The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, also chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
“The 43–day holy pilgrimage will commence on June 30 with all COVID–19 protocols in place and culminate, as per the tradition, on the day of Raksha Bandhan. We had in–depth discussion on various issues also on the upcoming yatra,” an official spokesman said.
The shrine board cancelled the annual pilgrimage in the past two years due to the pandemic. The pilgrimage sees hundreds of devotees climb the tough mountain regions to reach the holy cave shrine from the twin routes of Baltal and Pahalgam in central and south Kashmir every year.
In 2019, the yatra was cut short ahead of the Centre’s move to revoke J&K’s special constitutional position in August.