4053 pilgrims pay obeisance at holy cave
Srinagar/Jammu: The annual pilgrimages to the Amarnath cave shrine and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi resumed on Saturday after week-long weather-related suspensions, with thousands of devotees heading towards the two revered shrines as conditions improved across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, suspended since July 19 due to incessant rain and adverse weather, resumed after six days with a fresh batch of 6,269 pilgrims leaving the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley under tight security arrangements.
Officials said the 18th batch, comprising 1,470 women, 25 children and 54 sadhus, departed in a convoy of 223 vehicles at around 2.40 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. No convoy was dispatched for the traditional Pahalgam route, they said.
The pilgrimage resumed after weather conditions improved and the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway reopened following a three-day closure caused by landslides and shooting stones along the Udhampur-Ramban stretch.
The 57-day pilgrimage, flagged off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha from Bhagwati Nagar on July 2, is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.
Officials said nearly four lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, with around 1.20 lakh pilgrims beginning their journey from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp.
Meanwhile, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra also resumed after remaining suspended for seven consecutive days, triggering a heavy rush of devotees at the Katra base camp.
More than 10,000 pilgrims gathered at the registration centre to obtain mandatory RFID cards before beginning the trek to the shrine. Long queues were witnessed from the early hours as devotees, many of whom had been stranded in Katra for days, waited to resume their pilgrimage.
Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) managed the crowds and ensured smooth movement of pilgrims despite light rain throughout the day.
Many devotees expressed relief and joy over the resumption of the pilgrimage after days of uncertainty, while authorities maintained heightened security and crowd-management measures to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of both yatras.
The twin pilgrimages had been disrupted due to prolonged spells of rain and difficult weather conditions across Jammu and Kashmir, prompting authorities to suspend movement as a precautionary measure. With weather improving and road connectivity restored, officials said the situation is being closely monitored to facilitate the smooth continuation of both pilgrimages.
