SRINAGAR: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha took part in the Bhoomi Pujan of Yatri Niwas of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar on Tuesday.
“The new facility will fulfil a long pending demand of all stakeholders, organizations associated with Yatra, devotees from across the country and abroad,” the spokesman for the government said. “It will be built over 25 Kanal land and once the Yatri Niwas is completed, it would cater to more than 3000 pilgrims.”
The Lt Governor, the spokesman said observed that the Yatri Niwas being built in Jammu and Srinagar will be developed into vibrant centres of spirituality and knowledge. Spiritual programmes will also be organized round the year for the pilgrims and local people.
Three Yatri Niwas are coming up, one each at Ramban, Jammu and Srinagar. Pertinently, all these facilities will have a common room with places of worship and evening aarti, a library for showcasing the spiritual and cultural heritage of J&K to the visiting pilgrims.
It was informed that this year provision of tents and prefab structures is being done on Pahalgam and Baltal Axis which will facilitate accommodation of 57 per cent more pilgrims than earlier Yatra. Comprehensive arrangements have also been made for langar, water, resting spots, washroom, and RFID tracking in 09 districts on all routes of the journey.
Keeping in view the Covid situation, all protocols will be followed and isolation facilities will be built near Panjtarni, Holy Cave and Sheshnag. A 100-bed Covid Care Facility is also being prepared for the pilgrims in Srinagar. Moreover, the number of oxygen booths has been increased from 14 to 26 this year and two 30-bed hospitals are being set up for the pilgrims at Baltal and Chandanwari.
