Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday felicitated the organisers and volunteers of Langar Organisations at Katra, Reasi, marking the successful conclusion of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2026, and described their selfless service as the true soul of the pilgrimage.
Addressing the gathering, the Lieutenant Governor said Langar volunteers embody compassion and sacrifice, calling every stakeholder associated with the sacred yatra a carrier of India’s enduring cultural consciousness whose contribution history will remember. He noted that the 57 day pilgrimage, which began on July 3 and concluded on Raksha Bandhan, August 28, saw more than 4.80 lakh devotees have darshan of Baba Barfani, with 82 percent of darshans completed within the first 20 days and 95 percent within a month, despite over ten days of rainfall and an unexpected early surge of unregistered pilgrims.
The Lieutenant Governor credited the Shrine Board’s swift decision making and close coordination among stakeholders for ensuring uninterrupted services throughout the yatra. He said the 120 Langar Organisations that set up service camps along the arduous routes and at base camps worked tirelessly through biting cold without seeking recognition, and that their seva gave strength to lakhs of pilgrims.
Detailing the scale of arrangements, the Lieutenant Governor said around 1.87 lakh devotees used palanquin and pony services through a digital prepaid system that curbed overcharging and ensured swift grievance redressal. The yatra saw 93 medical facilities, over 595 hospital beds and 26 oxygen booths, with DRDO and the Department of Health and Medical Education setting up 100 bed hospitals at Baltal and Chandanwari. As many as 1,430 doctors and health workers, along with 48 ambulances including 4×4 vehicles for difficult terrain, were deployed round the clock. Nearly 7,900 toilet and bathing units were installed alongside 7,900 sanitation workers, realising what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to as the Swachh Amarnath Yatra in Mann Ki Baat.
The Lieutenant Governor called on the Shrine Board and Langar organisations to explore incorporating millets into community kitchens and bhojnalayas to promote healthier eating habits, and urged all stakeholders to begin preparing for next year based on this year’s learnings so that the pilgrimage is regarded nationwide as a model spiritual yatra. Senior officials including the Shrine Board’s CEO, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu and the President of the Shri Amarnathji Yatra Bhandara Organisation attended the felicitation ceremony.
