Weather Halts Amarnath Yatra Twice, 4 Lakh Pilgrims Visit Despite Challenges

The Amarnath Yatra, a significant annual pilgrimage, faced another suspension from Jammu on Friday due to continued bad weather, officials confirmed.

With no fresh batches allowed to journey towards the sacred cave shrine in South Kashmir, pilgrims await improved conditions at the security-tight Bhagwati Nagar base camp. Since the 38-day pilgrimage began, more than 4 lakh devotees have already paid their respects to the ice lingam of Lord Shiva, situated at a height of 3,880 meters.

This marks the second suspension of the pilgrimage from Jammu, the first occurring on July 17 due to heavy rains at the base camps. As of now, 1,44,124 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu camp since early July, initiating their pilgrimage with a flag-off by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The spiritual journey is set to conclude on August 9, aligning with the Raksha Bandhan festival.

(With inputs from agencies.)