Amarnath Yatra to continue through Baltal Axis for remaining period: SASB
Maintenance works taken along Pahalgam Axis, say officials
SRINAGAR: In view of maintenance works required to be carried out on the Pahalgam Axis of Shri Amarnathji Yatra following the recent rains, the Yatra shall continue through Baltal Axis, an official said.
“Due to the recent rains, urgent repair and maintenance works are required to be carried out on the Pahalgam Axis of Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra. The Yatra shall continue from the Baltal axis”, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board informed.
Yatra shall continue smoothly through the Baltal Axis for which adequate arrangements have been ensured, SASB said.
Meanwhile, after being suspended for a day, the Amarnath Yatra resumed on Tuesday with more than 1,800 pilgrims leaving the Jammu base camp for the holy cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said.
More than 4.90 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine so far this year against 4.50 lakh in 2023.
The 39th batch of 1,873 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 3:25 am in a convoy of 69 vehicles escorted by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police, the officials said.
The annual yatra commenced on June 29 and will conclude on August 19.
The yatra was halted on Monday as a precautionary measure in view of the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.
Notably, the number of pilgrims who paid obeisance to Lord Shiva this year’s yatra has crossed the five-lakh mark as more than 2,800 pilgrims visited the naturally formed ice ‘lingam’ on Tuesday.
According to officials, 2,813 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre high cave shrine on Tuesday. This has taken the number of pilgrims this year to 5,00,105.
The officials said 1,500 male pilgrims, 618 female pilgrims, 65 sadhus and two sadhvis were among those who paid obeisance at the cave shrine.
Over 570 security forces and 57 children also performed the pilgrimage.
According to the officials, there have been two deaths — a sevadar from Haryana and a pilgrim from Jharkhand — in this year’s yatra. Both the deceased suffered cardiac arrest along the Baltal route in June.
KV News
