NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL DEAR REDIFF THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
The ongoing Amarnath Yatra was temporarily suspended on Sunday following heavy downpour on the Baltal-Cave route and the Pahalgam-Amarnath route, official sources said.
However, authorities allowed the pilgrims to resume journey on the Pahalgam-Amarnath route after ensuring that the track was 'not that slippery to endanger their lives', the sources said.
As weather continued to remain bad, the Yatra would remain suspended temporarily on the Baltal-Cave route, the shortest route to the cave shrine situated at an altitude of 3,880 metres in south Kashmir Himalayas, they said.
The authorities have decided not to allow fresh batch of Yatris to proceed from Jammu on Monday in view of inclement weather, the sources said.
Meanwhile, braving inclement weather, the third batch of 3838 pilgrims, who left Jammu on Sunday, reached Pahalgam, the sources said.
The pilgrims, including 375 women, 235 sadhus and 15 children, left Jammu in 299 vehicles, though the route was slippery at some places due to rains on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Meanwhile, the first batch of Yatris who left Jammu on July 19 was likely to reach the shrine on Monday morning to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.
Tell us what you think of this report