Srinagar, July 18: The annual Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Thursday due to incessant rainfall over the past 36 hours in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, as authorities warned of further downpours across the region, including along key pilgrimage routes.
The suspension affects both the Pahalgam and Baltal base camps, where thousands of pilgrims had gathered to trek to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine. “Shri Amarnathji Yatra has been suspended for July 17 from both base camps due to continuous heavy rains,” Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Vijay Kumar Bhiduri said in a statement.
A landslide on Wednesday along the Baltal route in Ganderbal district claimed the life of a woman pilgrim and left three others injured.
Pilgrims stationed at the Panjtami camp were allowed to proceed to Baltal, Bhiduri said, noting that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel and Mountain Rescue Teams had been deployed to ensure safety and assist with restoration work along the rain-affected tracks.
“In all likelihood, the yatra shall resume tomorrow (Friday), depending on weather conditions,” he added. A two-day weather advisory has warned of heavy rainfall across various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, including along the yatra routes, officials said.
This marks the first time the pilgrimage has been suspended from Jammu base camp this year. The yatra began on July 3, with over 2.47 lakh pilgrims having paid obeisance at the shrine so far. Over 1,01,553 pilgrims have departed from Jammu base camp since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch.
More than 4 lakh people have registered online for this year’s pilgrimage. In 2024, a record 5.10 lakh pilgrims visited the holy cave, which houses a naturally formed ice lingam revered by Hindu devotees. The 38-day yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 9.
