LG performs pooja at Amarnath cave shrine, prays for early end to COVID-19 pandemic

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Sunday offered ‘special pooja’ at holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas and prayed for early end to COVID-19 pandemic.
Official sources said that Murmu, who is the chairman of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), visited the holy cave alongwith this family and senior officials of the board on Sunday.
The LG offered special pooja at the holy cave and prayed for early end to COVID-19 pandemic, besides wished for peace and tranquility in J&K.
This year’s 42-day-long Amarnath yatra was scheduled to begin on June 23 but the duration of the annual pilgrimage was cut-down to only 14 days between July 21 and August 3 following outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
Expressing happiness over the decision of the SASB to broadcast a live telecast of Amarnath Aarti, twice a day, starting from today till August 3 on Doordarshan, Mr Murmu said it would benefit the pilgrims across the world. “A large number of people would not be able to undertake the pilgrimage this year due to the pandemic so live telecast of Aarti would benefit such devotees,” he said.
He said the SASB has decided to conduct the yatra via Baltal route only with limited number of pilgrims keeping in view the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam on Saturday said that all the pilgrims will have to follow the SoPs which, interalia, prescribe 100 per cent RTPCR test for all persons travelling into J&K. “All entrants into J&K will have to be sampled, tested and quarantined till they are reported to be negative,” he said.
The Chief Secretary further said that the camping facilities earlier utilized for Yatris, especially at entry points are currently being utilized as quarantine centres.
He emphasised that SoPs for testing of persons entering J&K shall apply to Yatris as well. Besides, social distancing norms would further strain these holding capacities.
The Chief Secretary said, keeping in view these circumstances, the Yatra this year, would have to be undertaken in a restricted manner, so that the SoPs for COVID-19 are strictly adhered to during the conduct of the Yatra.
Officials said that no doctors would be available from outside J&K for the Yatra this year. “Isolation facilities will have to be created to ensure any COVID-19 challenges are addressed on emergent basis at the Camp itself. Also, COVID and high altitude sickness symptoms are quite similar and all cases will have to be treated as deemed COVID positive in case of an emergency. Also, special arrangements will have to be made for handling dead bodies,” they added.