The annual Amarnath Yatra has been temporarily suspended from Jammu to Kashmir on Thursday following continuous heavy rainfall, officials confirmed.
No pilgrim convoys will depart from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu today. Authorities cited safety concerns due to poor weather conditions along the yatra routes.
Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner of Jammu, stated, “Due to the heavy rains in the Yatra area, the movement of pilgrims from the Base camps has been affected. Therefore, it has been decided that no convoy movement shall be allowed towards the base camps Baltal and Nunwan from Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu on 31st July, 2025. Pilgrims shall be kept informed about the situation in due course of time.”
The pilgrimage began on 3 July and is scheduled to conclude on 9 August. So far, over 3.93 lakh devotees have offered prayers at the revered cave shrine of Shri Amarnathji.
However, due to the impact of recent rainfall, maintenance work is now required on the Pahalgam Axis of the yatra route. As a result, the yatra will resume exclusively via the Baltal Axis starting Friday.
“Due to the recent heavy rains, urgent repair and maintenance works are required to be carried out on the Pahalgam Axis of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra route. The Yatra shall continue from the Baltal axis from 1st August onwards,” noted Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir.
Previously, the pilgrimage from both base camps, Baltal and Chandanwari/Nunwan was suspended on 30 July. The decision came due to persistent rainfall in the region.
The Amarnath cave shrine, perched at an altitude of 3,888 metres. It is renowned for the naturally formed ice stalagmite, which is considered a sacred manifestation of Lord Shiva. Pilgrims believe the structure’s waxing and waning reflect the lunar phases and divine energy.
As per the traditional schedule, the holy ‘Chhari Mubarak’, the symbolic mace of Lord Shiva, will begin its journey from Amareshwar Temple in Srinagar on 4 August. It will reach the shrine cave on 9 August. This marks the conclusion of this year’s pilgrimage on Shravan Purnima, which coincides with Raksha Bandhan.
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