Yatra remains suspended from Jammu for 3rd day
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 10: As yatra was also resumed from Baltal track after remaining suspended for three consecutive days today, over 24,000 pilgrims paid obeisance to naturally formed ice Shiv Lingam at holy cave by this evening.
However, the yatra from Jammu to twin base camps of Nunwan -Pahalgam in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and Baltal in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district remained suspended for the third consecutive day today.
Officials said that the yatra from Jammu will also remain suspended tomorrow as the Highway has not been restored for vehicular traffic as yet.
Officials said that thousands of pilgrims reached holy cave from twin tracks of Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam to perform darshan. Today, most of stranded pilgrims from Baltal, Panchtarni and Sheshnag reached the holy cave after the gates were opened by the authorities early this morning at base camps and other transit camps allowing pilgrims to leave for their onwards sojourn. Click here to watch video
The decision of allowing pilgrims to proceed towards holy cave in large numbers was taken after improvement in weather conditions entire yatra route since yesterday.
Reports said that pilgrims were waiting in long queues at holy cave from early in the morning for their turn of darshan and the rush continued up to late in the evening. Till this evening 24,228 pilgrims performed darshan at holy cave. They included 17958 male, 5203 female, 666 children, 340 Sadhus and 61 Sadhvis.
This has taken the total number of pilgrims who paid obeisance at 3880 metre Himalayan cave since the 62 day yatra started on July 1 to 1,18,151.
One lady pilgrim from Ahmedabad, Gujarat died at holy cave due to breathlessness. She complained breathlessness and chest pain at a transit camp near the lower cave. She was shifted to hospital at holy cave but her condition deteriorated and later she breathed her last late tonight.
Reports said that the yatris stranded at Pantha Chowk Yatri Niwas near Srinagar and other places in Anantnag district were allowed to leave for their respective base camps this morning. Reports said that about 8000 pilgrims were camping at Panchtarni. However, the rush has decreased at base camp of Nunwan as no pilgrims have reached from Jammu for last three days due to blockade of Jammu -Srinagar National highway near Ramban.
The Amarnath Yatra remained suspended from Jammu for the third consecutive day today due to extensive damage caused to a section of the Jammu-Srinagar Highway in Ramban, officials said.
More than 6,000 pilgrims are stranded in Jammu, particularly at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp while over 6,000 are stranded at the Chanderkote base camp in Ramban district.
As the influx of pilgrims from other States continued, many yatris are facing shortage of shelter as the Yatri Niwas at Bhagwati Nagar has been closed for entry of pilgrims as it is full to its capacity.
A group of pilgrims from Rajasthan who were waiting near Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar said that they have not been allowed entry in the Yatri Niwas due to space crunch. Pilgrims reaching here are in high spirits and they want to wait till Highway opens as they will return only after performing the darshan of Baba at holy cave but the authorities should make arrangements of their boarding and lodging, said Bansi Lal, a pilgrim from Rajasthan who is camping in Jammu for last two days along with a group of 20 others.
Bharat Kumar, another pilgrim also from Rajasthan said there are no proper facilities of boarding and lodging for pilgrims. Moreover, the yatris don’t know where to stay. The Government should update information online about weather and opening of Highway so that the yatris will plan their travel accordingly, he added.
Some yatris who had come along with their families and remained stranded at Jammu for days together have decided to return to their home states.
“The yatra remains suspended from Jammu due to bad condition of the highway. No fresh batch has been allowed to move towards Kashmir from Jammu base camp today,” officials said.
“More pilgrims are arriving in Jammu on their onward journey to Amarnath. But most of them are being accommodated in various lodging centres,” he added.
Some of the pilgrims have been accommodated at the camps in Lakhanpur and Chichi Mata in Kathua and Samba districts to avoid the rush in Jammu, they said.
The yatris will only be asked to resume their pilgrimage once vehicular traffic between Jammu and Kashmir divisions is restored, they added.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar along with the Deputy Commissioners are monitoring the situation, officials said, adding all possible steps are being taken to ensure that those stranded do not face any hassle.
Sunita Saini from Punjab’s Jalandhar, who has been stranded in Jammu for the past five days, said, “We are waiting for the weather to clear up and the highway to reopen. We are optimistic about leaving for Amarnath.”
There is a huge rush for accommodation in Jammu as most of 33 lodging places and the base camp is full to its capacity. Even the parking area of Jammu base camp is full with buses carrying pilgrims who are cooking food there.
Around 200 to 300 Sadhus are also camping at the base camp’s Ram temple for the past one week.
Since June 30, a total of 43,833 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp in seven batches, following the flag-off by Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha.
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