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| 6-day halt ends, Amarnath, Maa Vaishno Devi Yatras resume | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 25: The Shri Amarnath and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimages resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended for nearly a week due to adverse weather conditions and security concerns, bringing relief to thousands of devotees stranded at various base camps.
The annual Shri Amarnath Yatra resumed from Jammu with the departure of the 18th batch of 6,269 pilgrims, including 1,470 women, 25 children and 54 sadhus, from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Kashmir.
The pilgrims left in a convoy of 223 vehicles at around 3 a.m. under tight security arrangements. Officials said the batch was headed towards the Baltal base camp, while no convoy was sent via the Pahalgam route.
The resumption of the pilgrimage came after weather conditions improved and the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was reopened following a three-day closure triggered by landslides and shooting stones at several locations along the Udhampur-Ramban stretch.
Meanwhile, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra in Katra, Reasi district, also resumed on Saturday morning after remaining suspended for nearly a week because of inclement weather and security concerns.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board decided to resume the pilgrimage at around 7 a.m. following a partial improvement in weather conditions. As news of the resumption spread, devotees who had been waiting in Katra began arriving at the registration centres in large numbers.
However, the registration process was temporarily suspended for around one-and-a-half hours as a precautionary measure amid safety concerns. Devotees waited patiently outside the centres before registration resumed after the rain subsided at around 10 a.m.
Around 2,000 pilgrims had registered and proceeded towards the cave shrine, while registration was continuing, officials said.
For the time being, the Shrine Board has advised devotees to undertake the pilgrimage only through the traditional route. The Battery Car Route and Tarakote Route continue to remain closed due to security concerns, while cleaning and necessary repair work is being carried out along these routes.
A decision on reopening the two routes will be taken after a further assessment of the weather and ground conditions, officials said.
Extensive security and disaster-management arrangements have been put in place along the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Disaster Management Team, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Shrine Board have been deployed at different locations.
The administration and the Shrine Board are closely monitoring weather conditions and have maintained that the safety of pilgrims remains the top priority.
According to sources, pilgrims are likely to be allowed to undertake the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage only during daytime until weather conditions return to normal. A decision on permitting night travel will be taken after reviewing the situation.
The Vaishno Devi pilgrimage had been suspended last Saturday night following heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions. Despite the suspension, a large number of devotees remained in Katra, awaiting an opportunity to resume their pilgrimage and have darshan at the holy shrine.
With both major pilgrimages now resumed, authorities continue to maintain heightened vigilance and are closely monitoring weather, road and security conditions to ensure the safe movement of devotees. |
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