Amarnath Yatra: An Alternate Route and the Pain of Pahalgam

Cameraperson: Shafat Hussain
Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan
Producer: Tridip K Mandal

The yearly Amarnath yatra is scheduled to begin from 21 July and end on 3 August, for a shortened duration of just 14 days. Every year the yatra, which is conducted and managed by Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, would attract lakhs of devotees. Their destination – the Amarnath Cave, which is nestled in the high Himalayas in the Pahalgam area of the Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. The yatra season normally lasts for two months.

Pahalgam being the traditional route for centuries together would attract most of the flow of devotees. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak a limited number of pilgrims will be allowed up to the cave, this time from the Sonamarg-Baltal side, a non-traditional and shorter route. This has cast a pall of gloom on the traditional route of Pahalgam.

“I have spent 40 years doing business here. And over the 40 years I have always seen the yatra take place on this route in Pahalgam.”

Haji Ghulam Nabi Lone, Local Trader, Pahalgam

“Almost 10 thousand livelihoods depended on the yatra. There were horse suppliers, tent suppliers, drivers etc. I used to set up tents at Sheshnag but there’s no work due to the coronavirus outbreak.”

Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, Tent Supplier, Sheshnag

As per an official order, only 500 devotees will be allowed to take the pilgrimage every day this year. The yatra was abruptly suspended last year as well after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution on 5 August.

By that time more than 3,00,000 devotees had already visited the cave, which is located at an altitude of 12,756 feet above the sea level.

“On 5 August 2019, the government took a decision to suddenly stop the yatra midway. We suffered almost 80 percent losses. There were still 10-15 days left in the yatra but it was stopped. Almost 50,000 people live in Pahalgam. Without the yatra and tourism, there’s nothing else to do here.”

Haji Ghulam Nabi Lone, Local Trader, Pahalgam

From the sudden suspension of the yatra last year to no yatra this year, the local businessmen in Pahalgam fear that the region’s tourism industry will completely collapse.

“The whole economy has collapsed. People are starving here and the government has made no arrangements. They aren’t even concerned about what we’ll do.”

Haji Ghulam Nabi Lone, Local Trader, Pahalgam

As most of the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the yatra have already been put into place via the Sonamarg route, the High Court of J&K is still seeking the confirmation from the administration for the final word about start of yatra. This, after a petition filed by HC advocate Sachin Sharma to seek suspension of yatra over apprehensions about the health and well-being of the yatris and J&K citizens amidst the pandemic.