The Amarnath Yatra is expected to be conducted between June 29 to August 7 (File Photo)
Online booking of tickets for the helicopter service for the annual Amarnath Yatra will begin from April 25, a top official said today. Umang Narula, chief executive of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said that advance online booking of helicopter tickets for this year's yatra will commence at 10 am on Tuesday.
SASB has made arrangements with UTAir India Pvt Ltd and Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd for the Neelgrath-Panjtarni-Neelgrath sector and with Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd for the Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam sector for providing helicopter services for Amarnathji Yatra commencing on 29th June, he said.
The 40-day-long annual 'yatra' to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the South Kashmir Himalayas will commence on June 29. The pilgrimage will conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 7. This year's yatra will be shorter by eight days against the 48-day event last year.
The CEO said that the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for online booking of heli-tickets have been formulated within the parameters of Air Traffic Services Regulations.
The links for the heli-operators' websites for booking of heli tickets are also available on the Board's website.
However, no yatri shall be allowed to board the helicopter unless he or she produces the required Compulsory Health Certificate issued by an authorised doctor or institution, he said. Thus, every helicopter passenger will have to furnish a Compulsory Health Certificate at the time of boarding at Neelgrath or Pahalgam without which the boarding pass will not be issued to the pilgrim.
The details of such institutions and authorised doctors is also available on the Board's website.
"Children below 13 years of age, elderly persons above the age of 75 and women who are over 6 weeks pregnant will not be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage," the CEO said. He urged yatris to follow the Do's and Don'ts available on the website issued by SASB, from time to time, for safely undertaking the arduous yatra.