Shortly after withdrawing a statement announcing the cancellation of Amarnath Yatra, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) on Wednesday said a decision on the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine would be taken after a fresh review of the coronavirus situation in the coming future.
The meeting of SASB, headed by Lt Governor G C Murmu, was held to discuss the organising of the Yatra amid ongoing lockdown due to coronavirus.
The Board expressed its apprehension and held that as on date, it may not be possible to organise the Yatra 2020, a press note issued after the meeting said.
The 42-day-long yatra to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas was scheduled to commence on June 23.
Due to the current COVID-2019 pandemic situation being dynamic, an appropriate decision can be taken on organising the Yatra on reviewing of the situation in the coming future, the board said.
Earlier this evening, the SASB had announced the cancellation of the pilgrimage due to coronavirus pandemic but the official statement was soon "cancelled and withdrawn" by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
In an official statement titled "Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2020 cancelled due to outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic", a spokesman said the board decided that the Pratham Pooja' and 'Sampann Pooja' would be done with traditional fervour.
Within half an hour, the statement was "cancelled and withdrawn." Later, a fresh official statement was issued by SASB.
The meeting was attended by DC Raina, Prof Anita Billawaria, Dr Sudershan Kumar, Dr CM Seth and Prof Vishwamurti Shastri. Bipul Pathak, Chief Executive Officer; Sh. Anup Kumar Soni, Additional Chief Executive Officer; and other senior officers of the Shrine Board also attended the meeting.
Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaja and Dr Devi Prasad Shetty attended the meeting through video conferencing.