The Amarnath pilgrimage has been suspended again in view of hostile weather conditions prevailing along both shorter but steep Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes and elsewhere in the hilly region, making trekking along these dangerous as was announced here officially on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, eight pilgrims have, so far, died in the yatra area following cardiac failures whereas a local porter too lost his life. The one-and-a-half-month long pilgrimage to the 12,729-foot-high cave shrine commenced on June 29 and till the yatra was suspended on Saturday, more than 60,000 devotees, many of them unregistered, had paid obeisance to the Shivlingam there.
According to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) CEO R.K.Goyal, since the weatherman has predicted downpour and even snowfall in the area, the yatra will remain suspended till a decision is taken by it after assessing the weather conditions on Monday morning. “As per the latest meteorological reports reaching the SASB this evening indicate that very heavy rains are expected to lash the entire yatra area along Baltal and Pahalgam routes besides snow fall in the higher reaches, a decision about further movement of pilgrims from Jammu and the base camps at Baltal and Pahalgam (Nunwan) will be taken in the early hours of July 4 after assessing weather conditions,” he said here. Srinagar and its neighbourhood were also receiving moderate to heavy rains at the time of filing this report.
Reports reached here said that thousands of pilgrims have been stranded at various places right from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal who were advised by the SASB CEO “not to insist on any forward movement towards the holy cave-shrine or the base camps, in view of the obtaining adverse weather conditions.” On Saturday, groups of pilgrims on way to the Valley from Jammu had clashed with police at Patnitop along the Jammu-Srinagar highway when they were stopped from proceeding further in view of the bad weather conditions and overcrowding of the base-camps.