The Amarnath yatra was on Thursday suspended following inclement weather.
The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine was suspended on both the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and Baltal route in Ganderbal district after heavy rains rendered the tracks “unsafe”, official sources said.
“No pilgrim was allowed to move from the base camps in Nunwan along Pahalgam route and Baltal this morning,” the sources said, adding over 5,000 pilgrims had reached the base camps from Jammu last evening.
Light snowfall also occurred at Maha Gunus top near the holy cave, which houses the naturally formed ice shivlingam.
The authorities are monitoring the situation on hourly basis and all pilgrims, who were returning to the base camps after paying obeisance at the shrine, are safe at various camps enroute, the sources said.
They said the pilgrims have been directed not to venture out till further orders.
The Amarnath pilgrimage commenced on July 1 and so far over 2.90 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine.
Meanwhile, a fresh batch of 2,244 pilgrims left Jammu this morning and are expected to reach the base camps in Pahalgam and Ganderbal later this evening.
The batch comprising 1,464 men, 477 women, 88 children and 215 sadhus left in 49 vehicles from the base camp at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu around 0500 hours despite heavy rains lashing wide parts of the State, officials said.
