SRINAGAR : Heavy rains and slippery road conditions forced authorities to stop yatris at different places on the shortest Baltal track while pilgrims who left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp continued their journey towards the Amarnath cave shrine despite cloudy weather.
A new batch of 82 pilgrims, lowest since the commencement of the annual pilgrimage from June 28, had left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the holy Amarnath cave shrine early this morning.
The pilgrimage to holy cave in south Kashmir Himalayas was progressing on smoothly though the number of yatris had come down as no fresh pilgrim could arrive Baltal or Nunwan Pahalgam base camps since Saturday when the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed as a precautionary measure following communal clashes at Kishtwar on Friday.
However, today a new batch of more than 150 pilgrims left Bagwati Nagar base camp at Jammu with an Army convoy under heavy security arrangments.
The pilgrims are scheduled to reach base camps in Kashmir this evening.
A yatra official said 51 pilgrims, including 14 women, left Baltal base camp for the holy cave early this morning despite cloudy weather and intermittent rain. However, the track had become slippery as there was very heavy rains on entire track, forcing authorities to stop the yatra.
The yatris who had left Baltal this morning were stopped at Domail and other halting station, he said adding that they will be allowed to move towards the shrine once the weather improves.
Similarly, the pilgrims, who were on their way to Baltal after paying obeisance at the shrine last night, were also stopped at different places due to heavy rains.
He said 31 pilgrims including seven women, and few sadhus also left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp this morning for next halting station, Chandanwari.
Pilgrims who had stopped at different halting stations lst night on the traitional route also started their onward journey towards the shrine this morning.
(AGENCIES)
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