Srinagar, July 7: Amarnath Yatra resumed on Sunday after remaining temporarily suspended for a day as a precautionary measure from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes due to rains, officials said.
As the weather improved, fresh batches of yatris were allowed to proceed from the twin routes of Baltal in Ganderbal district and NunWan Pahalgam base camp in Anantnag district this morning to the cave shrine for paying obeisance there, they said.
The Yatra was temporarily suspended on Saturday as a precautionary measure as rain lashed both routes, making the track slippery. “Weather improved, and the sun appeared partially cloudy over both tracks,” officials said.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of over 6,000 pilgrims left the Jammu city early Sunday to join the annual Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir, officials said.
The tenth batch of 6,145 pilgrims left Jammu’s Baghwati Nagar base camp in two separate convoys of 238 vehicles.
While the first convoy of 115 vehicles carrying 2,697 pilgrims left for Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district around 3.10 am, the second convoy of 123 vehicles with 3,448 pilgrims departed for Pahalgam base camp in Anantnag district.
Amid heightened security, another batch of pilgrims departed from the Baltal Base camp in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar for the annual pilgrimage–Amarnath Yatra.
With the chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ (hailing Lord Shiva), the pilgrims expressed glee as they embarked on the much-awaited journey.
Meanwhile, visuals showed a heavy police force deployed at the base camp to ensure the safety and security of the devotees.
Monika, a pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, said, “We are very excited. We made plans all of a sudden. Certainly, the Lord called us. The arrangements are very good here. There’s is no issue here. The administration is taking good care of us.”
Another pilgrim, Vijay Bhaskar from Hyderabad, expressed his enthusiasm over the Amarnath Yatra and said that he was eager to have a glimpse of ‘Baba Amarnath’, a form of Lord Shiva.
“I’m feeling very good. I’m eager to have a glimpse of Baba Amarnath. I would like to thank the government for having made great arrangements for pilgrims”, Bhaskar said.
This year, the yatra started on June 29 and will end on August 19, lasting 52 days.
The devotees of Lord Shiva undertake the arduous annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine located in the Kashmir Himalayas in July-August.
Conducted by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, the Amarnath Yatra has two routes through Pahalgam and via Baltal. Baltal serves as the camping ground for pilgrims in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir.
This year, the Yatra is taking place in the shadow of recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
