Registration for Amarnath Yatra 2016 to start Monday

Jammu: The registration for this year's pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath will start from Monday.

It will begin for both Baltal and Chandanwari routes through 432 designated bank branches.

The 48-day Yatra will commence simultaneously on both the routes from July 2 and conclude on Raksha Bandhan day on August 18.

Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, P K Tripathi said the step-by-step procedure which the yatris need to follow to register has been put on the board's website.

The CEO said pilgrims would have to furnish a compulsory health certificate while seeking registration.

Only certificates issued by doctor or medical institutes and authorised by the concerned state government shall be accepted at the designated bank branches.

For Yatra 2016, only those health certificates that have been issued on or after February 10 shall be considered valid.

The CEO further said those under the age of 13 years or above the age of 75 years and women, who are over six-week pregnant would not be allowed to be registered.

Tripathi said for ensuring effective security arrangements along the difficult tracks, only those yatris who are in possession of a yatra permit which is valid for a specified date and route will be allowed to proceed beyond the base camps, and cross the entry gates at Domel and Chandanwari.

Yatris who propose to travel by helicopter do not require advance registration as their helicopter tickets shall suffice, he said.

However, they shall be required to produce the compulsory health certificate.