Srinagar, Jun 14 (IANS): Amid chanting of Vedic mantras to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva, Nitishwar Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), on Tuesday performed 'Pratham Puja' on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.

The SASB organises Pratham Puja on the occasion of Jyeshtha Purnima every year to seek the blessings of Lord Amarnath for the peaceful conduct of the annual yatra.

Kumar prayed for the smooth conduct of the yatra and well-being of the pilgrims. He also encouraged the devotees from across the country to take part in the 43-day long yatra which is scheduled to commence on June 30 and continue till August 11.

The SASB has made all the requisite arrangements for facilitating a safe and hassle-free yatra, which will be held this after a gap of two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The holding capacity for yatris has been doubled with respect to previous years, Kumar said.

Special arrangements have been made for virtual puja, virtual hawan and online prasad booking for the devotees. The facilities may be availed by visiting the link in www.jksasb.nic.in.

The SASB would perform morning and evening 'aarti' from June 30 till the Shravan Purnima on August 11. The timing of the 'aarti' would be 6 a.m. to 6.30 a.m. in the morning and 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in the evening.

The devotees can have 'darshan' through live telecast of the aarti on www.shriamarnathjishrine.com/AartiLive.html or through the Shrine Board's Android-based application which may be downloaded from Google Play.