Srinagar, 12 June (H.S.): As preparations are in full swing for an upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra starting from July 3, this year around 125 langars (community kitchen) will be set up from Lakhanpur (gateway to J&K) to the cave shrine situated in the South Kashmir Himalayas.

Official sources said that nearly 125 langars will be set up from Lakhanpur to the cave shrine, including on the twin Pahalgam and Baltal routes.

They said that the trucks carrying langar material and infrastructural equipment to install sheds will start reaching Jammu and Kashmir from June 15.

“The process of installing langars will be completed by the end of this month,” they said.

This year, the 38-day-long yatra starting from July 3 will conclude on August 9, on the day of Raksha Bandhan.

The first batch will leave from Jammu on July 2.

Officials said that apart from the Yatra routes, more than 50 langars will be installed from Lakhanpur to Srinagar and Pahalgam and Baltal after being permitted by the Amarnath Shrine Board to the langar organisations.

They stated that langar organisations from Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other states will be setting up community kitchens en route to the Cave Shrine.

They said that out of the total, 25 langars will be organised in Baltal and Domel, 13 langars at the holy cave, 8 at Sheshnag, 5 at Pissutop, 12 at Panchtarni, 7 at Chandanwari, 9 at Nunwan and 5 at Zojibal.

Five langars will also be set up at the Jammu base camp Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar and about 50 on Jammu-Pathankot and Jammu-Srinagar national highways.

Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has also finalised the food menu for the langar organisations and asked them to avoid oily items.

The Shrine Board has also encouraged the pilgrims to eat nutritious and healthy food.

The holy cave of Shri Amarnath is located in Pahalgam of Anantnag district and is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus.

It is located at an altitude of about 13,600 feet above sea level.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday also inspected the maintenance, upgradation and widening of the Yatra track en route and took a first-hand appraisal of the measures taken by the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and Border Road Organisation (BRO) to ensure the safe and hassle-free pilgrimage of the devotees.

Sinha also performed the Pratham Puja at the Holy Cave, marking the ceremonial beginning of the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra.

The Lieutenant Governor urged all the devotees of Baba Barfani to visit in large numbers for the Holy Yatra and prayed for the progress of J&K and the nation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar