Srinagar, July 01: Jammu and Kashmir government has stopped further registration of pilgrims for the month-long Amarnath Yatra after the enrollment of over one lakh pilgrims, as the permissible quota for this year has been exhausted, official sources said here today. They said 1.07 lakh pilgrims had registered for this year's pilgrimage at 84 branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank across the country, which was entrusted the task by the government.

The registration has been closed in accordance with the Nitish Sengupta committee report according to which only 3,500 pilgrims per day should be allowed to perform 'darshan' of the naturally-formed ice 'lingam' in the holy cave shrine situated at an altitude of nearly 13,000 feet, the sources said. Stating that no unregistered pilgrim would be allowed to proceed to Amarnath, they appealed to unregistered people not to proceed to the cave as it would cause inconvenience to themselves and registered pilgrims.
Nearly 30,000 pilgrims will take the Baltal route to the holy cave shrine while the rest will proceed through the more frequented Chandanwari route, they added.

The first batch of pilgrims is expected to have 'darshan' on July 12. The 'yatra' concludes on August 12. Bureau Report