Pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine, located at an altitude of 14,000 feet, was halted in the Kashmir valley on Friday due to intermittent rain resulting in slippage on the tracks.
An official said the yatra was “temporarily suspended” on the Pahalgam-Shrine route, a 32-km trek, in Anantnag district, and Baltal-Shrine route, a 14-km trek, in Ganderbal district, on Friday morning. Kashmir has recorded multiple spells of rain in the past 24 hours.
Around 85,000 devotees have already visited the shrine since the pilgrimage started on July 1.
Meanwhile, the meteorological department has issued a fresh advisory about “widespread moderate to heavy rain till July 9” in Kashmir.
Also read: Amarnath yatra: a soul-stirring spiritual sojourn
A department official warned that the weather system was likely to affect the ongoing Amarnath Yatra. The department has predicted a sharp rise in water levels in rivers and streams and warned of flash floods, landslips and shooting stones.
The rain have already dipped the day temperature in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Piyush Singla, nodal officer for the yatra, said tremendous efforts were made to ensure the track’s suitability for travel and the implementation of essential safety measures at critical locations.
