New Delhi: The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended owing to the bad weather, officials said on Tuesday morning, after the Yatra began after a hiatus of two years. The Pahalgam route was closed, pilgrims are not allowed to move toward the cave shrine housing the naturally formed ice Shivling. Around 3,000 pilgrims were stopped at the Nunwan camp on the Pahalgam axis. Around 2,000 pilgrims who left from Jammu for the Baltal route were, however, allowed to proceed.
The 43rd annual yatra began on Thursday from two base camps- Nunwan in Pahalgam, Anantnag district and Baltal camp in Ganderbal district. Pahalgam is about 90 km from Srinagar, the Jammu and Kashmir capital.
A batch of 2750 pilgrims left the base camp on Thursday. The pilgrimage will end on August 11th, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
The Yatra was suspended for two years as the pandemic locked down individuals before its commencement on June 30th 2020. More than 72,000 pilgrims have offered their prayers in the shrine since then.