Fresh batch of over 7,900 pilgrims leaves Jammu for Amarnath after one-day suspension

After a day-long suspension due to heavy rains and landslides in Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday with a fresh batch of over 7,900 pilgrims leaving Jammu for the twin base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas.

The Yatra also resumed from the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir, officials said.

Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the 16th batch of 7,908 pilgrims — including 5,957 men, 1,613 women, 26 children and 310 sadhus and sadhvis — left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 261 vehicles for the twin base camps between 3:30 am and 4:25 am, the officials said.

The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 2,879 pilgrims in 92 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 5,029 pilgrims in 169 vehicles, who are undertaking the Yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said.

With this, a total of 1,09,461 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the Valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.

Amid chants of "Bum Bum Bhole" and "Har Har Mahadev," enthusiastic pilgrims left with religious fervour for Amarnath from Jammu, which transformed into a "city of divinity." There is a huge rush at the counters for on-the-spot registration, and over 4,000 fresh devotees arrived in Jammu from various parts of the country to get themselves registered. They were housed in different lodging centres.

So far, 2.50 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine since the Yatra began from the Valley on July 3.

More than 4 lakh people have registered online for the pilgrimage so far. Last year, over 5.10 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam.

The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Thursday from Jammu as well as from the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal due to heavy rain in the Valley over the past 36 hours, officials said.