The annual Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from Sunday, nearly a week before its scheduled conclusion on August 9, which was to coincide with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.
Authorities attributed the decision to persistent adverse weather conditions and the deteriorating condition of the Yatra tracks. The pilgrimage had already been temporarily halted three days earlier due to heavy rainfall in the region.
On Saturday, officials confirmed that the Yatra would not resume from either of the two traditional routes — Baltal or Pahalgam — because of unsafe track conditions and the urgent need for repair work.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, said that the recent downpours had severely damaged the terrain, rendering it unsafe for pilgrims. “Both routes require immediate repair and maintenance, and it is not feasible to continue the Yatra while deploying men and machinery for those repairs,” he added.
Despite the early suspension, around four lakh pilgrims visited the revered cave shrine this year, according to figures from the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).
(With inputs from IANS)