Amarnath Yatra started last week but has been suspended due to heavy rain.
A 65-year-old pilgrim, who had come to Jammu and Kashmir for the Amarnath Yatra, died of a cardiac arrest.
The Amarnath Yatra, which began last week, was temporarily suspended from the Pahalgam route on Tuesday morning amid bad weather. The annual 43-day pilgrimage is held from the twin base camps – Nunwan in Pahalgam of south Kashmir’s Anantnag and Baltal camp in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Around 3,000 pilgrims were stopped at the Nunwan base camp on the Pahalgam axis on Tuesday morning, officials said. Another batch of around 4,000 pilgrims that left Jammu for the Pahalgam route were stopped at Yatri Niwas in Chanderkote in the Ramban district. Pahalgam is about 90 km from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital.
Around 2,000 pilgrims who left from Jammu for the Baltal route were, however, allowed to proceed.
Since June 30, more than 72,000 pilgrims are reported to have offered their prayers at the Amarnath cave shrine, It is scheduled to end on August 11 on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
On Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the Amarnath Yatra base camp at Baltal to take a stock of facilities. “Interacted with Shri Amarnathji pilgrims, officers, ponywalas at Baltal base camp earlier today. Enquired about the facilities, quality of services, well-being of Yatris, volunteers and carried out on-site inspection of Control Rooms,” tweeted the office of Lieutenant Governor.
His office had earlier said: “Adequate arrangements are in place to ensure safe and smooth Yatra. Directed the officials for regular inspection of lodging, food, health facilities, sanitation and taking care of cleanliness drive along the Yatra route and base camp.”
The Amarnath shrine pilgrimage is held annually to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. Over the last two years, it could not be held due to the pandemic.
