Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 8: Authorities tonight announced suspension of Shri Amarnath ji pilgrimage from Jammu tomorrow and stopped all direct Yatra bound vehicles at different places on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway including Ramban and Banihal in anticipation of protests in the Kashmir valley tomorrow following the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
DIG Jammu-Kathua range Ashkoor Wani told the Excelsior tonight that Yatra convoy from base camp of Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu for Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) will not leave tomorrow.
“The yatra will remain suspended tomorrow from Jammu,” he said.
Official sources said the yatra convoy, which left this morning, has reached Baltal and Nunwan safely. However, they added, the yatra vehicles, which were leaving directly for Baltal and Nunwan from Jammu have been stopped at safe places on the National Highway including Ramban and Banihal and will be released only after assessment of the situation.
According to sources, no Yatra vehicle will be allowed to leave directly for Nunwan or Baltal tomorrow. The vehicles will be stopped at safer places or asked to camp at Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu.
Meanwhile, pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Amarnath Ji in Anantnag district of South Kashmir crossed one-lakh figure during first seven-days of the yatra with 16,367 pilgrims paying obeisance today before naturally formed Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva even as -13383 more pilgrims left for the cave shrine from base camps of Baltal and Nunwan (Pahalgam) today for darshan.
Official reports said 16,367 pilgrims today had darshan of naturally formed Ice Lingam of Lord Shiva in Shri Amarnath Ji cave shrine, taking total number of yatra to 1,03,063.
“The pilgrimage crossed one lakh figure in exactly one week of the yatra, which had started on July 2 from base camps of Baltal and Nunwan,” they said.
The pilgrimage was progressing smoothly with weather being sunny on both the tracks of Chandanwari and Baltal.
As many as 13073 pilgrims today left base camps of Pahalgam for yatra of Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine from both the tracks. While 7079 pilgrims left from shorter Baltal track, 6304 others left for the yatra from traditional Pahalgam route.
Some of the pilgrims, who had left for the yatra from Baltal returned late tonight after performing darshan while the yatris, who went from traditional Chandanwari track will take two to three days to reach the holy cave shrine for darshan of Lord Shiva’s Ice Lingam.
By tonight, about 6000 pilgrims had reached Baltal base camp and 5000 at Pahalgam and the number was expected to increase by tomorrow morning when the fresh batch would leave for the cave shrine.
Meanwhile, one more pilgrim died today of cardiac arrest enroute the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, taking the total number of pilgrim deaths to six. Five pilgrims had died till yesterday, all due to cardiac arrest at different places. Two pilgrims had died yesterday.
Surinder Dutt Biyas (65), a resident of Rajasthan, died of cardiac arrest near Sheshnag along the traditional 42-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district of South Kashmir this afternoon, the officials said.
The pilgrim death toll in the ongoing yatra is now six including a woman tourist from Delhi. Two pilgrims from Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, died on July 2 and 5.
Efforts are on to bring down the body of the deceased, officials said.
Meanwhile, as many 1,867 pilgrims, comprising 1,464 men, 262 women, 141 Sadhus and others, left in a cavalcade of 55 vehicles from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu at 5 am, a police official said.
With today’s batch, 10,872 pilgrims have left from the Jammu base camp for the pilgrimage.
Sources said very few pilgrims were leaving from Bhagwati Nagar base camp as majority of yatris were preferring to reach directly at Baltal and Pahalgam base camps for further pilgrimage to Amarnath ji cave shrine.
The yatra was progressing under tight security arrangements from Jammu as well as Baltal and Pahalgam.
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