Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir): The Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday temporarily suspended Amarnath Yatra 2024 from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes to the cave shrine due to overnight heavy rainfall which might trigger flash floods and landslides along the yatra route.
An official said on day 9 of the yatra, 5876 Amarnath pilgrims left from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu towards the Amarnath holy cave but later they were not allowed to move ahead.
The yatris will be allowed to proceed towards the cave shrine according to the improvement in weather.
Weather Forecast:
The local meteorological department has predicted intermittent spell of moderate to heavy rains in and around the holy cave of Amarnath.
The Amarnath cave is situated 3,888 metres above sea level and it can only be reached on foot or by pony. Located deep inside the Himalayas, the cave shrine can be accessed through the Anantnag-Pahalgam axis and the Ganderbal-Sonamarg-Baltal axis.
Most yatries take the Baltal route, a shorter 16 km trek from Baltal to the shrine along a steep, winding mountain trail. This route takes pilgrims 1-2 days.
The other is the Pahalgam route, which is approximately 36-48 km from the cave and takes 3-5 days to cover. While this is a longer journey, it is a littler easier and less steep.
The 52-day Amarnath Yatra started on 29 June and will continue till August 19.
