Amarnath Yatra Suspended on Baltal Route Due to Heavy Rains

Amarnath Yatra Suspended on Baltal Route Due to Heavy Rains

Ashiq Butt | August 11, 2024 | 09:56 PM IST | Breaking News, Srinagar | Follow on Google News

Amarnath Yatra Suspended on Baltal Route Due to Heavy Rains

Amarnath Yatra Suspended on Baltal Route Due to Heavy Rains

Key Highlights:

• Amarnath Yatra suspended on both Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
• Heavy rains triggered urgent repair and maintenance work.
• Yatra to remain suspended until further notice.

Srinagar, Aug 11: The Amarnath Yatra, a significant annual pilgrimage, has been suspended on the Baltal route following heavy rains on Sunday, officials confirmed.

This suspension affects both routes to the holy shrine, as the Pahalgam route had already been closed for maintenance earlier in the week.

Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, V K Bhiduri, announced that torrential rains have impacted both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, necessitating immediate repair and maintenance efforts on the Baltal axis.

“In the interest of the safety of the yatris, no pilgrimage will be allowed from the Baltal route until further notice,” Bhiduri stated.

The Pahalgam route, which was closed on Wednesday for maintenance work, remains shut, leaving both access routes to the Amarnath cave shrine temporarily inaccessible.

Officials emphasized that the suspension is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the pilgrims amidst adverse weather conditions.

Further updates regarding the resumption of the yatra will be provided in due course, according to officials.

The Amarnath Yatra, which began on June 29, has seen over 5.10 lakh pilgrims visit the 3,880-meter-high cave shrine this year.

The annual pilgrimage is a deeply revered event for devotees of Lord Shiva, culminating at the sacred cave where a naturally formed ice lingam is worshipped.

The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 19, but the recent weather conditions and necessary maintenance work have raised concerns about potential delays.

Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and will announce any changes to the yatra schedule as necessary.

Ashiq Butt

Ashiq Butt – is VoM News's senior staffer worked since year 2015 and he deals with correspondency and social media handles. Hailing from Doda's Marmat, Ashiq has strong grip over the collection of the data and it's compiling feature.