JAMMU, Jul 13: Following a three-day suspension, Tatkal registration for the Amarnath Yatra resumed, attracting a large number of devotees who flocked to on-the-spot booking counters. Despite the hot and humid weather conditions, devotees, including women, patiently stood in long queues to obtain their registration tokens.
Hundreds of unregistered pilgrims, including women, who had arrived in Jammu city, have already been registered for the Yatra to the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. However, pilgrims expressed the need for additional counters to manage the significant number of people seeking registration.
Five counters have been established for Tatkal registration, with three catering to the general public at Vaishnavi Dham, Mahajan Sabha, and Panchayat Ghar, while two counters are designated for the registration of sadhus at Geeta Bhawan and Ram Mandir.
Devotees waiting in the queues expressed concerns about the inadequate shelter and drinking water facilities at the registration spots. Despite the challenges, pilgrims showed dedication and patience, with some waiting for hours to complete the registration process.
During the Yatra’s suspension, approximately 8,000 pilgrims were stranded in Jammu, particularly at the Bhagwatinagar base camp. However, the Yatra has now resumed, with over 53,000 devotees having already departed for the shrine from the Jammu base camp. As of now, around 1.40 lakh pilgrims have paid their obeisance at the Icelingam of Lord Shiva at Amarnath since the beginning of this year’s 62-day pilgrimage, which is scheduled to conclude on August 31.
The authorities are taking steps to manage the large influx of devotees and address the concerns raised regarding facilities at the registration spots.
