Amarnath Yatra to start from June 25

The 37-day annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath will commence from June 25, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board which manages the yatra said.

In a statement, the SASB said that the yatra will conclude on August 2 coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.

"The board accepted the recommendations of the H H Ravi Shankar sub-committee and directed the chief executive officer to timely commence the registration of pilgrims and ensure the effective management of the yatra which would commence on June 25 and conclude on Raksha Bandhan on August 2," the statement said.

"The board further directed that all possible efforts should be made, in coordination with all concerned agencies, to make a timely assessment to determine whether it would be feasible to consider advancing the yatra by a few days, prior to June 25."

The board has made medical check-up for all the intending pilgrims' mandatory this year to avoid deaths and medical emergencies during the yatra.

Last year, scores of pilgrims had lost their lives during yatra owing to various health related problems especially cardiac problems.

"Every pilgrim seeking registration for undertaking the yatra must be fully aware of the serious risk involved in the pilgrimage and must self certify that he/she possessed satisfactory health status to be able to undergo the yatra."

The yatra involves a difficult mountains trek of 45 kms from the south Kashmir Pahalgam route and of 14 kms from north Kashmir Baltel route.

The hazards are heightened by inclement weather along the trek and cold conditions. In 1996 over 200 yatris were killed because of snow blizzards along the trek.