JAMMU: The Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday after being suspended for a day due to heavy rainfall and landslides across Kashmir. A fresh batch of over 7,900 pilgrims departed from Jammu for the twin base camps of the sacred 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine nestled in the South Kashmir Himalayas.
Officials confirmed that the pilgrimage also recommenced from both the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps in Kashmir.
Escorted by CRPF and local police personnel, the 16th batch comprising 7,908 pilgrims — including 5,957 men, 1,613 women, 26 children, and 310 sadhus and sadhvis — left Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar base camp between 3:30 am and 4:25 am in a convoy of 261 vehicles.
The first convoy, carrying 2,879 pilgrims in 92 vehicles, headed towards the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. It was followed by another convoy of 5,029 pilgrims in 169 vehicles bound for the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district.
Since the Yatra began on July 2 with the flag-off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, a total of 1,09,461 pilgrims have left from Jammu for the Valley.
Chanting “Bum Bum Bhole” and “Har Har Mahadev,” pilgrims departed with great enthusiasm, turning Jammu into a “city of divinity.” On-the-spot registration counters witnessed heavy footfall, with more than 4,000 fresh devotees arriving from across the country. They were accommodated in various lodging centers across the city.
As of now, over 2.5 lakh pilgrims have offered prayers at the holy cave shrine since the pilgrimage commenced from the Valley on July 3.
More than 4 lakh devotees have registered online for the Yatra so far. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the shrine, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam.
This year’s 38-day Yatra will conclude on August 9.
The pilgrimage had been suspended on Thursday from Jammu as well as both Pahalgam and Baltal base camps due to incessant rainfall in the region over the preceding 36 hours, officials added.
