Amarnath yatra resumes from Baltal route

SRINAGAR: The annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath resumed from the Baltal route on Saturday with improvement in weather, even as it remained suspended from Jammu.

The yatra resumed with a batch of 5317 pilgrims proceeding towards the shrine, a spokesman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said.

The holy journey had been suspended on Friday due to heavy rains and snowfall in upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range.

However, the spokesman said the authorities did not allow any pilgrim from Pahalgam route in view of heavy rains and snowfall at Mahagunus pass. The pilgrims have been asked not to venture from this route till weather improves.

Meanwhile, official sources in Jammu said the yatra will remain suspended from the city on Saturday and Sunday due to inclement weather prevailing along Pahalgam route.

On Friday, a batch of 1498 pilgrims had left from the base camp of MAM stadium in Jammu for onward journey to the cave shrine, they said adding so far over 3800 pilgrims had left from the city to the shrine since the beginning of the annual pilgrimage on June 10.

Earlier, the journey was suspended from Jammu for four consecutive days from June 11 to 14.

Adequate arrangements have been made for lodging and boarding pilgrims scheduled to arrive in the city in the next two days, the sources added.