Authorities suspended the annual Amarnath Yatra on Sunday, nearly a week before its scheduled end date of August 9, which was to coincide with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
The decision followed a period of adverse weather and worsening conditions along the pilgrimage routes.
Persistent Rainfall Makes Tracks Unsafe
The Yatra had already faced a temporary halt three days earlier due to heavy rainfall.
On Saturday, officials announced that the pilgrimage would not resume from either the Baltal or the Pahalgam routes. Both tracks had become unsafe due to rain-induced damage and now require urgent repairs.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, confirmed that the terrain had deteriorated significantly, making it unsafe for pilgrims.
“The ongoing rainfall severely affected the tracks. Deploying machinery for repair and continuing the Yatra at the same time was not feasible,” he stated.
Despite the early suspension, around four lakh pilgrims successfully completed the Yatra this year, according to data from the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
However, officials reported a sharp decline in footfall over the past week, largely due to weather-related disruptions.
Tight Security Measures Implemented This Year
In response to a major terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, the government significantly ramped up security for the Yatra. Over 600 additional paramilitary companies were deployed, making it one of the most tightly secured pilgrimages in India.
Pilgrims travelled in heavily guarded convoys from Jammu to the twin base camps, while civilian movement along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was restricted during convoy hours.
The Amarnath Yatra, rooted in the 1850s discovery of the cave shrine by Muslim shepherd Bota Malik, has long symbolised Kashmir’s syncretic traditions.
Until 2005, the Malik family managed the Yatra, but the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board now oversees its operations.
Over the years, security arrangements have limited local-pilgrim interaction.
While earlier, residents welcomed and assisted yatris, today only those directly involved in the pilgrimage, such as pony handlers and palanquin bearers, maintain contact with them.
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