Amarnath Yatra resumes after daylong suspension

Srinagar, July 06: The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have announced on Wednesday that with some improvement in the weather conditions along both routes, Amarnath Yatra will be resumed for the day.

Divisional commissioner Jammu said in a tweet that temporarily suspended Yatra has resumed again after improvement in weather conditions. "The Yatra which was suspended temporarily and halted in Jammu due to bad weather conditions has now been resumed on account of improved weather conditions," he said.

A fresh batch of nearly 6,000 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar base camp on Wednesday under tight security arrangements to visit the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. A total of 5,982 pilgrims of the eighth batch left in two separate convoys, nearly six hours behind schedule, after authorities reviewed its decision to suspend the yatra for the day owing to inclement weather, they said.

Earlier, due to bad weather along both Baltal and Pahalgam routes, no movement of pilgrims was allowed from either side towards the cave shrine and the pilgrims were not allowed to move towards the Valley from Jammu.

So far, over 75,000 pilgrims have visited the cave shrine, housing the naturally formed ice-Shivlingam even as heavy rains disrupted the yatra on Tuesday.

The 43-day long yatra commenced on June 30 from the twin tracks -- traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district and 14-km shorter Baltal in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district.

The yatra is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of 'Shravan Purnima' coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.