Amarnath Yatra cancelled due to COVID-19; live telecast of ‘Aarti’

SRINAGAR :

THE Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) on Tuesday decided to cancel this year’s pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas in the wake of the closure of religious places in Jammu and Kashmir due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to cancel the annual Amarnath Yatra was taken at a meeting of the shrine board chaired by SASB chairman Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu here. “Based upon the circumstances, the Board decided with heavy heart that it is not advisable to hold and conduct this year’s Shri Amarnathji Yatra and expressed its regret to announce the cancellation of Yatra 2020,” the SASB said in a statement. It said the Board will, however, live telecast the prayers twice a day.

“The Board is aware of and respects the sentiments of millions of devotees and to keep the religious sentiments alive, it shall continue the live telecast/virtual darshan of the morning and evening Aarti. Further, the traditional rituals shall be carried out as per the past practice. Also, the Chhadi Mubarak shall be facilitated by the Government,” the SASB said.

The initially proposed 42-day yatra was scheduled to commence from the twin tracks of Pahalgam and Ganderbal in Kashmir on June 23 but was delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had announced its plan to undertake the yatra in a “restricted manner” this year and allow only 500 devotees by road per day from Jammu to the cave shrine. The Tuesday’s decision has put an end to all speculations surrounding the annual pilgrimage. A spokesman of the SASB said a threadbare discussion was held on the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and its likely impact on the yatra before arriving at the decision.