* Watch video of Yatris’ protest on Excelsior Youtube channel
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 15: Thous-ands of yatris continued to remain stranded at Baltal and other places in the State right from Lakhanpur to Banihal as Amarnath Yatra was suspended for second consecutive day today and no pilgrim was allowed to leave for holy cave from here.
According to an official spokesman, 23,000 pilgrims are stranded at Baltal base camp alone as no yatri was allowed to leave for Jammu from there yesterday in view of unrest in Valley and apprehension of outbreak of violence after Friday prayers today.
However, over 800 pilgrims, who were stranded at Nunwan Pahalgam for last one week, were allowed to leave for Jammu late last night, spokesman added.
He said 9,179 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave by this evening and were on their way to Baltal. With this, the total number of pilgrims paying obeisance to Ice Lingam in cave shrine during last 14 days of yatra has touched 1,64,499.
He said 8,479 pilgrims left for holy cave from Baltal today for darshan. The yatra was started late in the morning due to heavy downpour on yatra track to holy cave. However, later the yatra progressed smoothly, he added.
The spokesman said that the stranded yatris will be carried to Jammu late tonight under tight security arrangements. However, yatra from traditional Pahalgam route remained suspended for last one week now after the outbreak of violence in Kashmir valley following the killing of dreaded Hizbul commander, Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on July 8.
Meanwhile, a high level meeting of the State administration was held in Srinagar tonight to take the decision regarding transportation of stranded yatris from Baltal to Jammu as heavy influx of pilgrims at base camp has added to many problems.
The base camp of Nunwan -Pahalgam wore a deserted look as no yatri was camping there since yesterday after the authorities shifted all stranded pilgrims from there to Jammu late last night. Except the jawans of security forces, police and government officials no one is camping at Nunwan base camp.
The Yatris who were stopped at various places on Jammu -Srinagar National Highway right from Udhampur to Banihal yesterday remained stranded for the second consecutive day today as administration has not taken any decision on allowing these pilgrims to leave for holy cave as yet.
Thousands of pilgrims continue to remain stranded on NH right from Udhampur to Banihal. The officials yesterday confirmed there number to 2000 while 10,000 pilgrims are stranded at Jammu and other places on Highway right from Lakhanpur to Vijaypur.
Sources said about 2000 pilgrims are stranded at Bhagwati Nagar base camp while a large number of pilgrims are stranded in Aasa Ram Bapu Ashram, Saraswati Dham, Kalika Dham, Vaishnavi Dham and other community halls in Jammu as well as Ashrams and langars on NH right from Lakhanpur to Vijaypur.
The stranded yatris at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas held a massive protest today demanding the resumption of yatra suspended for last two days. The yatris criticized the Government decision to suspend the yatra and putting the pilgrims to lot of inconvenience. Shouting slogans, the yatris took the administration to task for putting yatris to trouble.
The yatris stranded on NH at Udhampur also cursed the administration decision to suspend the yatra for last two days. Ranjana, a pilgrim from Maharashtra said that they are stranded on NH at Udhampur since yesterday morning and were waiting for the resumption of yatra. She said three to four buses of pilgrims from Maharashtra are stranded at NH near Udhampur. Some of the pilgrims are staying on a dhaba while others in the buses waiting for resumption of yatra.
Meanwhile, the heavy rush of pilgrims continued as thousands of yatris are reaching here daily from other parts of country to leave for darshan of Barfani Baba in deep Himalayas of Kashmir valley.
Hundreds of yatris were seen in long queues waiting for their registration at various registration counters here today also.
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