JJ CORRESPONDENT
Jammu/Srinagar, July 11: Amarnath Yatra resumed on Monday from Jammu’s Bhagwati Nagar based Yatri Niwas base camp after it was suspended due to cloudburst tragedy.
Sixteen people were dead, 40 people are missing and around 50 were injured after a cloudburst near the cave shrine on Friday.
Despite Shri Amarnath catastrophe, the enthusiasm among pilgrims has not come down and amid chants of ‘Bam Bam Bhole’ they are arriving at the base camp and several accomodations established by the government for the devotees.
A 12th batch of 4026 pilgrims left the base camp in a convoy of 110 vehicles.
An official said that for Baltal route, total 1016 yatries left the base camp including 767 males, 240 females and nine children in 25 buses and 10 light motor vehicles.
Similarly for Pahalgam Route, total 3010 pilgrims comprising 2425 males, 401 females, four Children, 174 Sadhus and six Sadhvies headed from the base camp in 75 vehicles including 58 buses.
He said that so far from Jammu base camp, 73554 pilgrims have left for the cave shrine.
After remaining suspended for three years due to revocation of Article 370 in 2019 and then due to COVID pandemic, the 43 days Yatra this year started on June 29 from Jammu wherein Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
The pilgrimage will conclude on August 11 on the occasion of Rakshabandhan.
The pilgrimage to Shri Amarnath Cave Shrine starts from twin routes—from Pahalgam base camp and the Baltal base camp.
Baltal route is the shorter and takes only 1 to 2 days to complete the distance of about 14 km, which is covered by a trek.
Amarnath Yatra from Pahalgam starts from the base camp and the distance is approximately 36 to 48 km and completes in around 3 to 5 days.
Amarnath cave shrine is situated at an altitude of 3,888 meters in Lidder Valley and is surrounded by glaciers, snowy mountains.
It is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period of time in summer when it is open to pilgrims.
In 2011, the numbers of pilgrims reached a peak, crossing 6.3 lakh and in 2018, pilgrims numbered 2.85 lakh.
This year the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board has also launched the helicopter service for the pilgrims directly from the Srinagar.
Meanwhile, Amarnath Yatra resumed from the traditional Pahalgam route on Monday while it remained suspended from the Baltal side for the third consecutive day, according to officials.
The yatra had been suspended following a huge cloudburst occurred near the holy cave shrine on July 8 that washed away many tents, leaving at least 16 pilgrims dead, 35 others injured and several others still missing.
They said the yatries were allowed on Monday to proceed from Nunwan base camp at Pahalgam and halting points at Chandanwari and Panjtarni.
However, the yatra remained suspended for the third consecutive day from the shortest route of Baltal in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
Meanwhile, the air service was operating from Baltal to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, they said.
The weather on both sides of the yatra route is dry and partially cloudy.
A massive rescue operation launched by the Police, security forces, Indian Army, Air force, NDRF and other concerned agencies to remove the debris and locate the missing is underway for the third day.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha who visited Nunwan Pahalgam base camp on Sunday to take stock of the situation interacted with the yatries also. He had said “We are hopeful to resume the yatra as soon as possible, added efforts are underway to repair the road damaged due to Friday’s cloudburst”.
About 3,000 pilgrims are at Baltal camp, awaiting official orders to move towards the cave shrine for darshan.
More than 1.13 lakh pilgrims had darshan at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath till Friday. UNI
