Danishwar Hameed
Srinagar, July 18: The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday morning after a brief suspension caused by inclement weather and slippery track conditions, officials confirmed.
The pilgrimage had been halted on Thursday as a precautionary measure after continuous rainfall triggered landslides and rendered the trekking paths from both Baltal and Pahalgam routes unsafe. No yatri was allowed to proceed towards the holy cave shrine during the suspension.
“Restoration work was promptly initiated to repair the affected stretches. Rescue teams along with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) worked tirelessly to restore the tracks and ensure safety for the pilgrims,” an official said.
With an improvement in weather conditions and a green signal from the concerned agencies, the pilgrimage resumed early Friday from both Nunwan (Pahalgam) and Baltal base camps. Hundreds of yatris were allowed to continue their journey to the cave shrine, which houses the naturally formed Ice Lingam.
According to official figures, over 2.56 lakh pilgrims have performed darshan at the holy shrine in the first 15 days of this year’s yatra.
Meanwhile, the 16th batch of 7,908 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Friday morning amid tight security arrangements. The convoy included 261 vehicles—comprising 170 buses, 22 medium motor vehicles (MMVs), and 69 light motor vehicles (LMVs). The group consisted of 5,957 men, 1,613 women, 26 children, 290 sadhus, and 22 sadhvis.
Authorities continue to monitor the weather conditions closely and have urged pilgrims to follow safety advisories to ensure a smooth and secure pilgrimage.
