After 6 Days of Bad Weather, 18,000 Pilgrims Rush to Vaishno Devi and Amarnath

After six days of bad weather, yatras back in J&K: 18,000 at Vaishno Devi; 4,000 at Amarnath Cave

Srinagar, July 26

Officials said both Yatras resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended for six days.

"Over 4,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Amarnath holy cave by last evening, while 18,000 pilgrims had darshan at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Katra in Jammu region. However, the pilgrimage to Shiv Khori shrine in Reasi district remained suspended for the 7th consecutive day today, officials said.

All the pilgrimages, including Shri Amarnath Ji, Mata Vaishno Devi and Shiv Khori, were suspended on July 18 after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) made an inclement weather forecast from July 19 to July 24 in Jammu and Kashmir.

So far, nearly four lakh pilgrims visited the holy cave in South Kashmir district of Anantnag since the 57-day-long Yatra started on July 3.

Officials said on Saturday that the weather was dry in the cave shrine area during the morning hours, but it drizzled in the afternoon, and the Yatra proceeded smoothly.

The officials said 18,000 pilgrims, who were stranded at Vaishno Devi and staying in various hotels and dharmshalas, performed darshan in the holy shrine by Saturday evening from the old track.

However, the new track was closed for pilgrimage as a precautionary measure due to the threat of shooting stones. Yatra was suspended in the evening due to heavy rains.

Amarnath Yatra resumed after the weather improved and the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway became operational again following closure triggered by landslides and shooting stones at several locations along the Udhampur-Ramban stretch.

On Saturday, 6,269 devotees left in a convoy of 223 vehicles under tight security at around 2.40 a.m. for the Baltal base camp from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas. No convoy moved from Jammu for the Pahalgam route.

Heavy rains had lashed most parts of Kashmir over the past few days, triggering landslides in hilly areas and causing water levels in rivers and streams to rise, prompting authorities to suspend the pilgrimage as a safety measure.

The pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. Authorities said the Amarnath Yatra will remain "temporarily" suspended from the Pahalgam axis to carry out repair and maintenance works necessitated by rainfall in Kashmir over the last few days.

"In view of the repair and maintenance works necessitated by recent rainfall, the Shri Amarnathji Yatra will continue through the Baltal axis, while the Pahalgam axis will remain temporarily closed for pilgrimage," Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg said.

He said the recent rains have caused conditions requiring urgent repair and restoration works along the Pahalgam route. "To ensure the uninterrupted continuation of the Yatra, comprehensive arrangements have been made on the Baltal axis for the safe and smooth movement of pilgrims," he said.

— IANS