Amarnath Yatra 2018 – Route and Dates 6

The Amarnath yatra route attracts lakhs of pilgrims every year who visit the site during Shravani Mela in July-August (Shravan month in Hindu calendar) – the only time in the whole year when the Amarnath cave is accessible. The annual ‘Amarnath Yatra’ is marked by ‘Pratham Pujan’ which is said to invoke the blessings of Baba Amarnath. It is said that the ‘lingum‘ in the holy cave grows and shrinks with the lunar cycle. Moreover, since the ice is collected from the water dripping from the top of the cave due to the melting of the ice on top of it, the ‘lingum’ reaches a maximum around July-August when the ice caps around the cave are melting.

Legend

The legend says that Lord Shiva had to give in to Goddess Parvati’s demands of knowing the secrets of life and death but he couldn’t risk anyone eavesdropping on it. So they set on their way to a cave in the mountains- too difficult to be reached by any lesser person than the gods themselves. The secret is so sacred that all the companions also had to left behind. So his ride – Nandi, the bull – was left at Pahalgam, the moon atop his head at Chandanwari, the snake around his neck at Lake Sheshnag, the 5 basic elements of life that he carried at Panchtarini and even his son – Lord Ganesha himself – at Mahaguna top. And now Hindu devotees find themselves en route this perilous mountainous trek every year.

Amarnath Yatra 2018 – Dates

The Amarnath Yatra 2018 is scheduled to begin on 28th June, 2018  (Skandshasthi) and will go on till 26th August Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan).

The registrations will start from March 1, 2018

Routes

The devotees start their yatra from Srinagar or Pahalgam on foot and take one of the two possible routes. The shorter but steeper trek via Baltal, Domial, Barari and Sangam is 14 km long and allows people to take a round trip in 1-2 days. However, ponies are not allowed on this route due to safety reasons. One has to either walk or be carried on ‘Dandies’ (carried on a seat atop shoulders of other people). This Amarnath Yatra route is considered more favourable for returning back from the shrine than on the way up as steep slope is said to cause serious health problems among un-acclimatised visitors. Young, healthy and people looking for adventure amidst the religious trip happen to take this trek.

The longer Amarnath yatra route via Pahalgam is generally preferred by most of the devotees. The length of the trek varies from 36 to 48 km depending upon the devotion of the pilgrim. The trek usually takes 3-5 days one way. The Amarnath route is much wider than the Baltal trek and slopes gradually. However, one will also find it crowded by ponies for almost whole of the route. Aged, sick or people with past history of illnesses are advised to take this yatra route.

Both the routes, however, allow for the best possible facilities in the conditions, thanks largely to the efforts of Indian Army, Central Government and State Government Police Forces for both security and facilities. Apart from government provided facilities, various non-profit organizations and private companies also place stalls along the way. The overall organization of the yatra, however, is carried out by Shri Amarnath Yatra trust which provides for services like telecommunication, power supply, firewood etc. Mobile phones are of no use in the area and it would be wise to leave them behind. Online Helicopter bookings can be made in advance.

The efforts of the concerned agencies (both government and private) make the trek much easier than what it used to be a few years ago with the lack of any facilities at all. However, despite all the medical support, fair price shops and power utilities, the Amarnath Yatra Route is one of the harshest pilgrim routes in India and takes a toll of many lives every year. To minimize the losses, a compulsory health check-up is carried out for all pilgrims allowing only healthy people to go through. Despite this, the extreme weather, natural disasters and road accidents are frequent. None of this, however, deters the faithful followers of Lord Shiva from taking this perilous journey every year with joy.

Amarnath Yatra Registration Process 2018

This year, Shri Amarnathji Yatra will commence from  June 28, registration of which will begin from March 1, 2018. 437 designated branches of Punjab National Bank, Jammu and Kashmir Bank and YES Bank, located in 32 states and union territories have been authorized by the board to take all the necessary steps for registration. The form is also made available online for all intending yatris, along with the compulsory health certificate. The registration will be on first come first serve basis.

Fees: The registration fees will be INR 50 per yatri/per permit.

Since 2014, the SASB has also initiated a ‘group registration scheme’ for yatris intending to travel with friends, family or neighbours.

Details of registration for NRIs/ex-yatris have been made available here.

Amarnath Yatra In Helicopter

Online booking for helicopter rides are yet to be made available for the yatris, but will begin approximately around 20th March. Tickets will be available for two separate routes, i.e. Neelgrath-Panjtarni-Neelgrath route and Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam route.

The details of the helicopter ride (as per 2017) are given below:

For Neelgrath-Panjtarni-Neelgrath route

Provider name and website:

Global Vectra Helicorp Limited – www.onlineglobalhelicorp.com

UTair India Pvt.Ltd. – http://www.utair-india.com/

Price: One-way ticket fare on this route-  INR 1715 per person

Starting Point: Baltal helipad

For Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam route

Provider name and website:

Himalayan Heli Services Pvt. Ltd – www.himalayanheli.com

Price: One-way ticket fare on this route- INR 2950 per person.

Starting Point: Pahalgam helipad

Timings for all rides are according to service providers’ and should be strictly adhered to.

Prices likely to differ this year.

A maximum of 5 bookings are allowed against a single debit/credit card. The same card cannot be used for booking for next 3 weeks. The debit/credit card used for booking should be reproduced at the time of issuing a boarding pass.

Safety:

For safety purposes, children below 13 years, elderly aged above 75 years and ladies more than 6 weeks pregnant are not allowed to undertake the pilgrimage.

Requirements:

All pilgrims/travellers intending to avail helicopter services are required to furnish a Compulsory Health Certificate (CHC) for each individual, duly issued by authorised doctors/institutions, as per instructions laid down by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB). The list of authorized doctors/institutions are made available on the official website well in time before the commencement of advance bookings.

No pilgrim/traveller shall be allowed to board the helicopter without submitting a CFC, issued on the specified date. Any CFC issued before/after the specified date will be rendered invalid.

The Amarnath yatra, however, is not just a spiritual tour. The nearby places are equally tempting tourist attractions to even the most non-religious among us. Kashmir was once called the ‘Paradise on earth’ by Amir Khusro and rightly so. Some of the must-visit places that you can undertake in one trip include the likes of Srinagar, Gulmarg and Sonamarg.