Amarnath Yatra: Shrine Board issues list of allowed and prohibited food items for pilgrims at langars

JAMMU, May 3: The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has released a list of permitted and banned food items for the community kitchens (langars) along the twin tracks to the holy cave shrine in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, as the 62-day long Shri Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to begin from July 1. The focus is on the health of the pilgrims, and nutritious meals will be served at approximately 120 langars, while junk and fried food are banned. The District Magistrates of Ganderbal and Anantnag will ensure action against those who violate the guidelines. The permitted menu includes healthy food items such as cereals, pulses, green vegetables, and fruits, while all non-vegetarian food, alcohol, tobacco, cream-based foods, pickles, fried and fast foods, and crunchy snacks are banned. In 2022, 3.65 million pilgrims performed darshan at the cave shrine of Amarnath, the highest in the past five years, but 16 pilgrims died due to a cloudburst, and several went missing during the yatra that remained suspended for three days.