Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, July 20: After remaining suspended for two days following protests in Valley and Ramban district of Jammu region after Gool episode on July 18, the holy Amarnath yatra was resumed from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu base camp this evening.
Confirming that the yatra was resumed this evening an official spokesman told Excelsior that 1,834 pilgrims left the base camp here by 1735 hours in a cavalcade of 56 vehicles for holy cave under tight security measures.
They included 1256 male, 355 female, 26 children and 97 Sadhus.
Meanwhile, the yatris started their return journey from Baltal and Nunwan-Pahalgam base camps towards Jammu late this evening after they were not allowed to proceed towards Jammu by the authorities for two days as widespread protests rocked Kashmir valley and Ramban district of Jammu region after Gool firing.
The spokesman said over 150 vehicles carrying yatris left the two base camps in Valley for Jammu by this evening under tight security arrangements. These yatris will reach Jammu early tomorrow morning.
The spokesman said that the yatris at Baltal and Nunwan were allowed to proceed towards Jammu this evening. These yatris will proceed towards Jammu and will not be stopped any where at National Highway for night halt, he added.
He said likewise the yatris who left Jammu base camp for holy cave will be allowed to proceed for Nunwan and Baltal during the night and will not be stopped at any where for night halt so that they can reach their destinations early tomorrow morning to start the trekking.
The spokesman said 4,694 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave today from both Baltal and Chandanwari tracks. With this, the total number of pilgrims performing darshan in cave shrine situated at an altitude of 3880 metres in deep Himalayas in South Kashmir district of Anantnag has reached 2,89,935 in last 23 days of pilgrimage.
This was the lowest number of pilgrims performing darshan at holy cave since the annual yatra started on June 28, he added.
Spokesman said 650 pilgrims left for holy cave from Baltal via shorter 16 km track early this morning under tight security arrangements. These pilgrims performed darshan in the cave shrine by the evening and were on their way back to Baltal.
The spokesman said 1,000 pilgrims left from Nunwan-Pahalgam base camp to holy cave early this morning under tight security measures via traditional Chandanwari track. Besides the pilgrims who had a night halt at Chandanwari, Sheshnag and Panchtarni also started their onwards journey to holy cave.
He said weather to holy cave remained cloudy during the entire day but the yatra proceeded smoothly.
Spokesman said the decision to allow the yatris to leave for holy cave from Jammu and permit the stranded pilgrims from Pahalgam and Baltal to proceed towards Jammu was to clear their growing rush.
The pilgrims camping at Bhagwati Nagar base camp and other camps were growing restive due to the suspension of yatra for two days and the yatris had made an appeal to Government to take immediate steps for resuming the pilgrimage.
To protest against the suspension of yatra Bajrang Dal activists also staged a demonstration at Bhagwati Nagar today and torched the effigy of Government. The protestors warned to intensify agitation if yatra was not allowed to proceed for holy cave.
A traffic police official said vehicles, mostly trucks which were stranded at Qazigund, were allowed to move towards Jammu late last night.
All these vehicles later reached to their destinations early this morning, he said, adding that those stranded on other side of the Ramban were also allowed to move towards Kashmir late last night.
Follow our WhatsApp channel