The authorities have suspended the Amarnath Yatra for Thursday due to persistent rainfall over the past 48 hours.
The Meteorological Department forecast light to moderate rain in Kashmir and heavy rain in Jammu over the next 24 hours.
The Jammu and Kashmir Information Department announced that both Pahalgam and Batlal base camps will remain closed for the day.
Urgent restoration work began on the pilgrimage tracks, damaged by the rainfall, prompting the authorities to suspend the Amarnath Yatra.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Relations Department issued a statement stating, “Heavy continuous rains over the last two days have necessitated restoration work to be carried out on tracks along both the routes. Border Roads Organisation has made heavy deployment of its men and machinery on the tracks to complete the work before Yatra can be released from the two base camps on 18.07.2025.”
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, confirmed the suspension and asserted that the pilgrimage will resume on July 18, depending on weather conditions.
He stated, “Due to the continuous rains over the last couple of days, we need to urgently carry out repair and maintenance works on the tracks. Therefore, the authorities have decided not to allow any movement towards the Holy Cave from the two base camps today.”
“However, yatris who stayed at Panjtarni camp during the preceding night are being allowed to proceed down to Baltal under adequate deployment of BRO and Mountain Rescue Teams. The Yatra shall resume in all likelihood tomorrow, depending upon the weather conditions during the course of the day,” Bidhuri further added.
Pilgrim Numbers Continue to Surge
So far, over 2.7 lakh pilgrims have paid homage at the 3,880-metre-high Cave Shrine during the ongoing Amarnath Yatra 2025.
For the first time this year, officials have halted the pilgrimage from Jammu for a day.
More than 3.35 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrine since the pilgrimage started on July 3. Over 4 lakh devotees have registered online for the pilgrimage till now.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said this year’s Amarnath Yatra is likely to surpass the expected 3.5 lakh mark. He cited the strong response and enthusiasm of the pilgrims as the reason.
The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.
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