SRINAGAR: The Shri Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday as rainfall and adverse weather conditions affected Ramban district and parts of Kashmir, officials said.
No fresh convoy was permitted to leave the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu as a precautionary measure, with authorities assessing the prevailing weather and road conditions before allowing further movement of pilgrims.
Meanwhile, 1,202 pilgrims of the 28th batch, who had completed darshan at the holy cave and were staying at the Baltal base camp, were allowed to travel towards Jammu in a down convoy of 44 vehicles, according to the Joint Police Control Room, Baltal.
The returning group comprised 867 males, 251 females, one child, 79 sadhus and four sadhvis. The convoy included 28 heavy motor vehicles, one medium motor vehicle, 11 light motor vehicles and four trucks.
Authorities are monitoring weather and road conditions along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the Yatra routes before taking a decision on further movement. The suspension has been enforced as a safety measure amid rainfall and the possibility of landslides, shooting stones and other weather-related disruptions.
The annual pilgrimage to the Shri Amarnath Cave Temple, located at an altitude of 3,888 metres in the South Kashmir Himalayas, began on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Raksha Bandhan.
The 57-day Yatra has so far witnessed more than 4.76 lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine.
