Amarnath yatra pilgrimage will be historic this year: I&B Ministry

“This year's Amarnath Yatra will be one of the biggest Yatras in the history of Jammu and Kashmir as around 6 to 8 lakh devotees are expected to arrive in the Union Territory to have darshan of the holy Shivalingam at the cave in Pahalgam in south Kashmir Himalayas," Chand said.

The Amarnath yatra was suspended during the past two years amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Foolproof security arrangements have been put in place to make the Yatra safe," Chand said and added that “security in Jammu and Kashmir has already improved as a record number of tourists are already visiting here,” he said.

He said the tourist footfall in the valley will increase the local economy.

“Today, I met the officials of the administration including Divisional Commissioner and concerned Deputy Commissioners who revealed that this year it will be a historic pilgrimage and for that, all the necessary arrangements have been put in place,” Chand said.

He said that the arrangements that were made for the Yatra would be twice that of every year and the entire administration is geared up to welcome such huge number of pilgrims this year.

He said that Lieutenant Governor J&K Manoj Sinha has recently stated that in just a few months, 80 lakh tourists visited Union Territory, which is a record number.

“This itself hints that the atmosphere is peaceful,” he said.

Chand said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to prepare a short documentary on Amarnath Yatra along with the beautiful and scenic places of Kashmir.

“We will widely circulate that documentary across the country and outside,” he said.