Amarnath Yatra resumes from Jammu after 3-day suspension

JAMMU: The Amarnath Yatra resumed from the Jammu base camp on Tuesday afternoon after remaining suspended for three days in view of the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for repairs in the Ramban section.

A fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to move towards Kashmir for their onward journey to the Amarnath cave shrine as the highway, which had been damaged at several places due to incessant rainfall, was opened, they said.

Amarnath pilgrims usually leave Jammu between 3.45 am and 4.30 am every day. The suspension of the yatra had left around 15,000 pilgrims stranded in Jammu and at other places.

Those stranded at Qazigund were also allowed to move towards Jammu, the officials said.

In view of the suspension of the yatra, around 8,000 pilgrims were stranded in Jammu, particularly the Bhagwatinagar base camp.

Similarly, around 6,000 pilgrims were stranded at the Chanderkot base camp in Ramban district. Nearly 2,000 pilgrims were stranded at Kathua and Samba camps.

The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine located at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the south Kashmir Himalayas began on July 1.

Since June 30, a total of 43,833 pilgrims have departed for the cave shrine from the Jammu base camp in seven batches. The pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 31.