Amarnath pilgrimmage suspended from Baltal, continues on traditional Pahalgam track

Srinagar, Jul 19: Yatra was on Friday suspended from shortest Baltal track due to slippery conditions following rain while it continued from traditional Pahalgam route after brief disruption, a yatra official said.

As many as 3,627 pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Baghwati Nagar, Jammu base camp for Baltal and Nunwan camps under unprecedented security arrangements.

Pilgrimage was suspended from Baltal base camp as the track was slippery at several places and there was also intermittent rain during the night, a yatra official told UNI. No pilgrim was allowed to move towards the cave shrine from shortest track as a precautionary measure since the hilly route was slippery, he said.

Similarly, no yatri was allowed to leave camp near the cave shrine for Baltal base camp, he added. However, he said, if weather improves, pilgrimage will be resumed on this track also.
Due to rain and slippery conditions, pilgrimage was also suspended on traditional Pahalgam route also in the morning. Following improvement in the weather and after inspection of track condition, yatra was resumed from there, he added.

He said later, fresh batch of pilgrims, including women, children and sadhus, left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional yatra track. The pilgrims, who had night halt at different stations, including Chandanwari, left for next stations early this morning.

He said on the 18 day of the pilgrimage, 14,000 pilgrims, including women, sadhus and sadhvis, have darshan at the cave shrine on Thursday. Since early this morning, pilgrims, who had night halt at nearby halting stations, are having darshan at the cave shrine. A total of about 2.33 lakh pilgrims had darshan of the self made Ice-Shivlingam at the cave shrine.