Efforts of shrine board set stage for yatra

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 2

It took months of painstaking efforts and hard work to set the stage for hosting thousands of pilgrims for the annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath, located deep in Himalayan mountains and accessible through a rigorous trek, which began today.

The process of preparations for this year’s pilgrimage began in January when members of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) met under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra and decided that the pilgrimage 2015 would commence on July 2 and continue for a period of 59 days.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who visited the cave shrine early this morning, expressed satisfaction over the security and other arrangements put in place by the state government and the SASB.

The board, which is responsible for the better management of the pilgrimage and upgradation of facilities for pilgrims, was constituted in 2000 and the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir is its ex-officio chairman. The board has eight members, assisted by a Chief Executive Officer, and also operates a 24x7 helpline.

The pilgrimage to the cave shrine is conducted via two routes — a shorter path from Baltal and the longer one, more traditional, from Chandanwari near Pahalgam meadow resort. The preparations for the pilgrimage, which are oversaw by the SASB, included the rigorous task of clearing paths, setting up makeshift housing infrastructure, installing fool-proof security perimeters and daily management of thousands of pilgrims.

The entire process of preparations, which has been going on for months now, has been closely monitored by Governor Vohra, who is the Chairman of the SASB.

On February 21, Governor Vohra held the first review of arrangements put in place for the pilgrimage, including helicopter services, allotment of community kitchens, tents, shops and other conveniences for the pilgrims.

At the meeting, Governor Vohra also directed the SASB CEO to make early settlement of all matters related to the positioning of community kitchens “keeping in view the advice” of the National Disaster Management Authority.

The most challenging aspect of the preparations for the pilgrimage is to dig paths from Baltal and Chandanwari base camps to the cave shrine, which snakes around rugged mountainous terrain with depth of snow varying between a low of four feet to a high of 20 feet or more.

The clearance of paths, over which pilgrims make a treacherous trek to the cave-shrine, began in May when the weather began to improve in the region. The weather along the two pathways to the cave shrine, which is located at a height of 3,888 m, changes unexpectedly.

Since the registration of pilgrims began on March 3, Governor Vohra has held regular meetings with officials of Ganderbal districts, where Baltal is located, and Anantang district, where Chandanwari is located, and the officials of the SASB to ensure smooth preparations for the annual pilgrimage.

The terrain of the pilgrimage faces a constant threat of disasters, including avalanches, for which 19 rescue teams — 13 Avalanche Rescue Teams and six Mountain Rescue Teams — will be deployed at different locations along the two routes to avert any mishap. Twenty dog squads will also be deployed along the pilgrimage routes.