Due to inclement weather conditions with heavy rain in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra was temporarily halted on Friday.
According to officials cited by news agency PTI, the pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine was suspended, and pilgrims were not allowed to proceed towards their destination this morning.
The downpour, which began in the morning, forced the temporary suspension of the yatra along both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.
The authorities anticipate that the yatra will resume once the weather conditions improve.
On Friday, the eighth batch of pilgrims, comprising 7,010 individuals, embarked on their journey towards the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam. They traveled in a convoy of 247 vehicles, consisting of 5,179 men, 1,549 women, 21 children, 228 sadhus, and 33 sadhvis. Of this group, 240 pilgrims headed for Baltal in 94 vehicles, while 4,600 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in 153 vehicles to pay their respects at the holy cave shrine.
On Thursday, a total of 17,202 pilgrims visited the holy cave shrine, bringing the cumulative number of devotees who have witnessed the natural ice lingam formation to 84,768 so far.
The 62-day-long Amarnath Yatra to the holy shrine commenced on July 1 and will conclude on August 31. Registrations for both the Pahalgam track in the Anantnag district and Baltal in the Ganderbal district have been initiated through online and offline channels.
Situated at an altitude of 12,756 feet above sea level, approximately 141 km from Srinagar, the Amarnath holy cave is nestled in the Ladar Valley, which remains covered with glaciers and snow-capped mountains for the majority of the year.
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