Yatra from Pahalgam route halted due to bad weather
The weather improved later in the day, but it was too late to resume the pilgrimage
As heavy rain lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra, which had commenced on June 30, was temporarily suspended from the Pahalgam route on Tuesday morning.
The annual 43-day pilgrimage is held from the twin base camps of Nunwan in Pahalgam of south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baltal camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Even after the weather improved later in the day, the pilgrimage could not be resumed as the devotees would not have been able to reach the cave shrine before evening. “The yatra from the Pahalgam axis remains suspended due to rain. Though the weather has improved, the pilgrimage will remain suspended for the day from Pahalgam and Nunwan base camps,” said a duty officer at the Pahalgam police control room, adding that pilgrims from Sheshnag and Panchtarni camps had been allowed to go to the cave shrine.
Around 3,000 pilgrims were stopped at the Nunwan base camp on the Pahalgam axis on Tuesday morning, officials said. Pahalgam is around 90- km away from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Another batch of around 4,000 pilgrims that left Jammu for the Pahalgam route were stopped at Yatri Niwas in Chanderkote in the Ramban district.
“They will be allowed to proceed for Pahalgam on Wednesday morning,” said Ramban district SSP Mohita Sharma.
The pilgrimage remained unaffected on the Baltal route, and 2,028 pilgrims, who had left for Jammu on Tuesday morning, were allowed to proceed for the cave shrine, said another police official.
6,351 pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine
Amid tight security, a sixth batch, comprising 6,351 Amarnath pilgrims left for the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir on Tuesday.
A total of 6,351 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in a convoy of 239 vehicles with the Central Reserve Police Force guarding them, officials said. As many as 4,864 men, 1,284 women, 56 children, 127 sadhus, 19 sadhvis and one transgender person left for the pilgrimage, they said.
Since June 30, more than 72,000 pilgrims are reported to have offered their prayers at the Amarnath cave shrine.
The Yatra is scheduled to end on August 11.