Srinagar, Jul 18 (KNO): The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday after remaining suspended for a day due to bad weather, while over 16,000 pilgrims had darshan at the holy cave today, officials said.
An official informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the Yatra had been halted on Thursday following relentless rains, which triggered landslides along the routes, posing a threat to the safety of pilgrims. However, with improved weather conditions, authorities gave the green light for pilgrims to proceed.
Amid religious fervour and passion, 16,858 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine on Friday, he said.
The pilgrims who paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine included 11,357 males, 4,816 females, 220 children, 125 sadhus, 18 sadhvis, and 322 security personnel. The cumulative number of pilgrims who have performed darshan so far has reached 2,73,091.
The official said the 16th batch comprising 7,908 pilgrims left from the Jammu base camp early on Friday morning under tight security.
The convoy departed in 261 vehicles, with 92 on the Baltal route and 169 on the Pahalgam axis. The batch comprised 5,957 males, 1,613 females, 26 children, 290 sadhus, and 22 sadhvis.
The pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced on July 3 and will conclude on August 9—(KNO)