Srinagar | On the second consecutive day the Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Friday which led to thousands of pilgrims getting struck at both Baltal and Pahalgam base camps from where the pilgrims proceed by foot to pay obeisance at 3,880-metre high cave shrine.
According to an official of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) which manages the annual yatra said, “The Amarnath-bound convoy, which usually leaves Jammu in the early hours, was not allowed for the second day on Friday to avoid overcrowding at the twin base camps in the Valley The annual two-month Amarnath Yatra to commence on Thursday was halted due to bad weather and heavy rainfall.”
He said a large number of pilgrims were held up at various camps en route to the cave shrine, including Baltal, Nunwan-Pahalgam, Sheshnag and Panjtarni, because of heavy rains which triggered landslides and shooting of stones along the arduous tracks over the past couple of days. State Governor NN Vohra, who is also Chairman of the Board, is visiting the camps on Friday to take stock of the situation after cancelling his earlier scheduled visit to Jammu, he added.
However, limited helicopter services functioned from both the routes and so far 68,202 pilgrims had paid obeisance at the naturally formed ‘Shivling’ at the cave shrine since the beginning of the 60-day long yatra on 28 June, the official said.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
