Amarnath Yatra interrupted due to bad weather
By IANSSunday, July 4, 2010
SRINAGAR - The Amarnath Yatra was Thursday interrupted as the pilgrims’ trek from the north and south Kashmir base camps to the cave shrine was stopped due to inclement weather.
“We have halted the movement of yatris from the Baltal base camp (north Kashmir),” Ganderbal Superintendent of Police Imtiyaz Hussain said.
“There are around 3,000 yatris at the Baltal camp and 2,500 at Manigam transit camp. The yatra will resume when the weather improves,” he said.
The movement of the pilgrims towards the shrine has also been halted from south Kashmir’s Nunwan (Pahalgam) base camp.
“About 2,000 yatris are stationed at Nunwan,” said Tas Ali, camp officer at the base camp.
The weather office has forecast rains and thundershowers all along the route to the cave shrine, situated at a height of 13,500 feet above sea level.
So far, more than 250,000 pilgrims have performed the yatra.
The pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine that houses a natural ice stalagmite worshipped as an icon of the Hindu god Shiva began July 1. It will end Aug 25.
