The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from the Jammu base camp on Thursday due to a weather advisory forecasting heavy rainfall across many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. This marks the first suspension of the pilgrimage from Jammu this year.
“No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to move from Jammu towards the twin base camps of the holy cave shrine this morning,” a government official said. The decision was taken as a precautionary measure after the meteorological department issued a two-day advisory warning of heavy rain, including along the yatra routes in Kashmir.
Landslide Incident Kills One Amarnath Pilgrim
The suspension comes just a day after a tragic incident on the Baltal route, where a woman pilgrim lost her life and three others were injured due to a landslide in the Ganderbal district. The recent rain has raised concerns about landslides and slippery paths along the high-altitude route.
Since the pilgrimage began on July 3, over 2.35 lakh devotees have offered prayers at the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine. According to official data, 1,01,553 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the Kashmir valley since July 2, when the first batch was flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Despite the temporary suspension, enthusiasm for the yatra remains high. Over 4 lakh people have registered online for the annual pilgrimage, which is expected to continue until August 19, depending on weather and security conditions.
