Jammu: The registration for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir Himalayas began on Wednesday, with a large number of devotees thronging counters set up here for the pilgrimage.
The advance registration is open in both online and offline modes.
The 57-day pilgrimage will commence from the twin tracks — the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the 14-km shorter but steep Baltal route in Ganderbal — on July 3 and will conclude on Raksha Bandhan on August 28.
“The registration for Amarnath Yatra has begun. There is heavy rush as pilgrims are coming to get themselves registered. It has been opened in both online and offline modes,” Punjab National Bank’s Jammu Circle Head, DGM Pankaj Kumar Verma, told reporters here.
Punjab National Bank acts as the nodal bank for the yatra.
Across India, 556 bank branches are involved in the registration process, out of which 310 branches of Punjab National Bank participate.
In Jammu, six counters have been set up,” he added.
The offline branches in Jammu, including those of J-K Bank and PNB, witnessed long queues since 8 am as devotees lined up an hour before the start of the registration process.
“I want to be among the first to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. That is why I came early this morning to get myself registered. This will be my second yatra,” Jammu resident Yamni Sharma told reporters.
Sharma, who will be undertaking the yatra via the Pahalgam route with her parents, sister and brother, said there is huge improvement in facilities and normalcy is prevailing in Kashmir, so more Hindus should come and pay obeisance.
Vinood Kumar, who had come from Pathankot in Punjab for registration at the PNB branch in Rehari Colony, said this is the 11th time he is undertaking the yatra.
“We have always paid obeisance at the cave shrine in the first batch for the last many years. This year too, we have registered for the pilgrimage,” he said.
“Our message to all devotees is to come and pay obeisance and seek blessings. For us, this yatra is in our annual calendar,” he said.
The PNB DGM said as the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir has improved significantly, support from banks has also increased.
“We are anticipating that the number of people will rise further. Accordingly, we are assessing how we can further simplify and ease the bank registration process,” he added.
The offline registration can be done in 556 bank branches across the country, including 310 branches of Punjab National Bank, 90 branches of J&K Bank, 37 branches of Yes Bank and 99 branches of SBI, besides others, officials said.
