Rain-hit Amarnath yatra resumes from Jammu after three days' break
Jammu: After remaining suspended for three days due to heavy rain, the Amarnath yatra resumed this morning when a fresh batch of 2,672 pilgrims left Jammu for the holy
cave shrine. The batch, comprising of 1,896 men, 473 women, 54 children and 249
sadhus left in a fleet of 67 vehicles from the base camp of Bhagwati Nagar. With
today's batch, as many as 61,826 pilgrims have left from Jammu so far to the cave
shrine since the commencement of the yatra on June 30. Over 1000 pilgrims, who
were stranded at Kathua, also left for holy cave early this morning, sources said.
The yatra was suspended from Jammu, Lakhanpur, Baltal and Pahalgam camps on Friday
due to inclement weather from the base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal.
Lakhanpur (Jammu and Kashmir): About 2000 Hindu pilgrims on way to join the Amarnath
Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir were stopped at Lakhanpur, the main entry point to
the state, following inclement weather conditions. The pilgrims, who had left
in a fleet of 60 vehicles, were stopped at the Gateway of the Jammu and Kashmir
state, as landslides had occurred on the road due to heavy rain. The authorities
have made temporary arrangements of lodging for the stranded passengers at the
checkpoint at Lakhanpur and would allow them to proceed to their base camps at
Baltal and Pahalgam after the rubble from landslides is cleared. The pilgrims,
especially women and children, are facing grave difficulties as the halting destination
lack basic facilities. "Thousands of pilgrims are stranded here who have come
in their cars or buses. It is causing lot of problems especially to children and
women," said Baboo, a pilgrim. The security officials are diverting all the vehicles
to this temporary stay point as the traffic has been blocked on the highway. The
pilgrims are now longing to continue their journey to the cave shrine of the Hindu
god Shiva. "We are in a group of 20 pilgrims. We had come with great respect and
devotion in our hearts to visit Baba Barfani. But after crossing Madhopur, we
were stopped by police officials at the border of Lakhanpur as they told us that
the way ahead is closed," said Pradeep Kumar, another devotee. The stay point
lacks proper arrangements, say the pilgrims. "We were stopped at the Kashmir gate
as we were informed that some landslide has taken place on the road ahead to Jammu
. So, because the road is blocked and there is no other arrangement we have been
stopped here," said Harish Kumar, a pilgrim.
