Page 5 - Amarnath Yatra

Over 4,600 pilgrims leave Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar base camp for Amarnath

A batch of more than 4,600 Amarnath pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Thursday morning amid tight security. As many as 2.90 lakh devotees have paid obeisance at the Amarnath shrine since the annual pilgrimage began on July 1. A total of 4,675 pilgrims left in a convoy of 169 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the onward journey to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva. Officials said 2,850 pilgrims, headed for Pahalgam, left in a convoy of 106 vehicles while another convoy of 63 vehicles carrying 1,825 pilgrims left for the Baltal base camp at 3.30 am and 3.45 am, respectively. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.

15th batch of 6,200 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath amid tight security

The 15th batch of more than 6,200 Amarnath pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here early on Monday morning amid tight security, officials said. As many as 2,29,221 devotees have paid obeisance at the Amarnath shrine since the annual pilgrimage began on July 1. A total of 6,648 pilgrims left in a convoy of 241 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir to undertake the onward journey to the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Lord Shiva. Officials said 3,686 pilgrims, headed for Pahalgam, left in a convoy of 132 vehicles while another convoy of 109 vehicles carrying 2,998 pilgrims left for the Baltal base camp at 3.30 am and 3.45 am, respectively. The 62-day annual pilgrimage commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.

Amarnath Yatra: 2 more pilgrims die, 8 CRPF personnel injured in accident

The death toll in the ongoing Amarnath Yatra climbed to 27 on Sunday with two more deaths, while eight CRPF personnel on their way to offer prayers at the cave shrine were injured in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district, officials said. Urmilaben Modi (53) died after she was hit by a shooting stone on the lower side of the cave shrine of Amarnath on Saturday, the officials said. Two mountain rescue team personnel and another pilgrim sustained injuries in the incident, they said. In another incident, Meghnath (65) of Chhattisgarh, was found unconscious at Pissutop along the Pahalgam route to the shrine on Sunday. He was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, the officials said. Eight Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured when their vehicle fell into the Sindh nullah in Ganderbal when they were on their way to the Amarnath shrine via the Baltal route, they said. The injured were rescued and taken to the Baltal base

Batch of over 6,600 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath from Jammu amid rain

Another batch of over 6,600 Amarnath pilgrims left the Jammu city early Sunday for Kashmir amid rain and tight security to embark on the annual pilgrimage, an official said. Over 2.10 lakh devotees have so far visited the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, situated at a height of 3,880 metres in south Kashmir Himalayas, since the beginning of the 62-day-long yatra on July 1. "The 14th batch, comprising 6,684 pilgrims left Bhagwati Nagar base camp Jammu for the valley in a convoy of 241 vehicles between 3.30 am and 3.55 am," the official said. The pilgrim convoy left for the two base camps, Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal district, amid moderate rains which went on for hours drenching several parts of Jammu and leaving many roads waterlogged. According to the official, 3,686 pilgrims left for Pahalgam base camp in 132 vehicles, while 2,998 pilgrims are heading for Baltal in 109 vehicles. With the latest dispatch, a total of 86,865 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for

Amarnath devotees throng booking counters as Tatkal registration resumes

A day after Tatkal registration for the Amarnath Yatra resumed here after suspension for three days, hundreds of people thronged the on-the-spot booking counters. The Tatkal registration was resumed on Wednesday after the pilgrimage was suspended from Saturday to Monday due to inclement weather and the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for repairs in the Ramban section. Braving the hot and humid weather conditions, devotees including women are patiently waiting in long queues to get a registration token. "We have been waiting in long queues since morning for the registration. We will first get a token and then have to get a health checkup done, only after which we can proceed with the registration process," Kapil Dev Pandey, a Maharashtra resident who came here for the pilgrimage, told PTI. Pandey, however, pointed out that there should be more counters to attend to the huge number of people. Over 1,500 unregistered pilgrims, including women, who have arrived in Jammu

CRPF deployed in large numbers to secure Amarnath Yatra: DIG Avasthy

CRPF personnel have been deployed in large numbers to secure the ongoing Amarnath Yatra as the paramilitary force is equipped with the latest gadgets to augment the security grid in Kashmir, a senior officer of the force said. "We are deployed for your service 24/7, 365 days (a year), whether there is yatra or not. There is an increase in the (number of) forces in view of the yatra, and more focus is given," Deputy Inspector General of CRPF Alok Avasthy said. Avasthy said the CRPF was using with modern gadgets and weapons to maintain a hawk-like vigil on its area of operation in south Kashmir. "We are using the most modern technology which is available in the world. I will not reveal the details here, but, yes, we are using that," he added. Asked if there was a specific threat to the ongoing pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath, the officer said the CRPF was focussed on ensuring round the year peace. "There is no specific threat, but, yatra or no yatra, our priority is t

Amid security, another batch of 9,200 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath shrine

A fresh batch of over 9,200 pilgrims, the largest so far, left the base camp here in the early hours of Thursday for the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas. While 6,035 pilgrims left in a convoy of 194 vehicles for Pahalgam, another convoy of 112 vehicles carrying 3,206 pilgrims left for the Baltal base camp at 3.30 am. With this, a total of 65,544 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 30. A total to 1,46,508 pilgrims have offered prayers at the shrine since July 1. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.

Amid tight security, 10th batch of 7,800 pilgrims leave Jammu for Amarnath

The 10th batch of over 7,800 Amarnath Yatra pilgrims left the Jammu base camp in the early hours of Wednesday for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements, officials said. The yatra resumed from the Jammu base camp on Tuesday afternoon after remaining suspended for three days in view of the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for repairs in the Ramban section. A total of 1,37,353 pilgrims have visited the Amarnath shrine since July 1, the officials said. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 1. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31. A total of 7,805 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for the Valley in a convoy of 339 vehicles around 3.15 am, the officials said. They said 4,677 pilgrims are headed for Pahalgam in a convoy of 207 vehicles and 3,128 pilgrims left for

Amarnath Yatra remains suspended for 4th day due to closure of NH-44

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday due to a closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway owing to the extensive damage caused to its Ramban section, leaving 15,000 pilgrims stranded in Jammu and at other places. Authorities said incessant rains have caused unprecedented damage to the highway, especially the stretch falling in Ramban district, forcing its closure for traffic on Monday. Despite the suspension of the yatra, the pilgrims remain undeterred and optimistic about visiting the Amarnath cave shrine, even if it means waiting for days. "The yatra has not yet resumed from Jammu. It is still suspended due to a closure of the highway. No fresh batch was allowed to move towards Kashmir from the Jammu base camp on Tuesday," a senior officer told PTI. Traffic authorities issued an advisory on Monday night, saying the collective efforts of the administration and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) throughout the day resulted in a ...

NHAI works overnight to make alternate bypass to restore traffic on NH-44

Work to construct an alternate bypass for restoring traffic on National Highway-44 at Chabba Seri was on in full swing overnight, said an official on Tuesday.Work on restoring the portion of a road, which was washed in the heavy rains, was also underway simultaneously on Monday, the official informed further.Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, said, "Work at Seri, Ramban, by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is underway to construct an emergency bypass to restore traffic on National Highway-44."Earlier, Mohammed Jahangir, a local on his way to the area, said roads were being washed away in the downpour in the region, claiming that the administration had not made any attempts to rescue stranded tourists."We are facing a lot of problems. We are compelled to cover a significant distance on foot. Recently, a road was washed away during our journey. We had to walk around 1-2 kms in Makarkot and are now having to cover a further 3-4 kms on foot. As we reached Ramban, another road was

Amarnath Yatra resumes amid improved weather, over 6,000 offer prayers

Among the yatries who paid obeisance at the cave included 4700 men, 1,456 women, 213 children, 116 Sadhus and 6 Sadvis. 93,929 pilgrims performed darshan at Shri Amarnathji

CRPF conducts sanitisation operation around Jammu camp of Amarnath Yatra

The CRPF is carrying out an anti-sabotage and sanitisation operation in and around the Bhagwati Nagar Amarnath Yatra base camp here to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims camping there due to inclement weather, officials said. Assisted by sniffer dogs, metal detectors and surveillance equipment, the CPRF units conducted an extensive sanitisation exercise in the parking area and the roads leading to the base camp, the officials said. The yatra from the camp has been suspended for the second day on Sunday due to heavy rains and about 5,000-6,000 pilgrims are waiting there, they said. According to the officials, fresh batches of pilgrims were not allowed to leave Jammu due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. More than 80,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas since the beginning of the yatra on July 1. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,888-metre-high shrine commenced on July 1 and is scheduled to conclude o

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Amarnath yatra resumes from J-K's Panjtarni, Sheshnag camps after 3 days

As soon as the skies cleared around the cave shrine, the authorities opened the gates and allowed the stranded devotees to offer prayers at the naturally formed ice-lingam

Thousands stranded as weather keeps Amarnath Yatra suspended for 2nd day

Amarnath pilgrims stranded at the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam following the suspension of the Yatra due to inclement weather have urged authorities to evacuate them. The yatra was suspended on Friday following widespread rain and landslides, particularly along the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district. Nearly 50,000 pilgrims are put up at various base camps in Kashmir valley with almost 19,000 at Baltal base camp in the Ganderbal district. Ronali Shah said she has been stuck at Panjtarni base camp since Thursday noon. "We reached here three days ago at 4 pm. Despite the sunny weather, the helicopter services operator did not fly us down to Pahalgam" Shah said. She even urged authorities to change the private helicopter service provider that flew stranded pilgrims from the Panjtarni base camp. "The private helicopter left behind the yatris who had made online bookings while

Army patrols along J-K highway to ensure safety of Amarnath pilgrims

The Army is conducting area domination patrols daily along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway with drones, surveillance equipment and sniffer dogs to ensure a secure passage for Amarnath pilgrims, officials said on Saturday. The drills on the highway are an integral part of the multi-security grid responsible for facilitating a smooth and incident-free pilgrimage spanning 62 days from July 1, they said. "The Army undertakes intense area domination patrolling along the entire route of the yatra, from Jammu to Banihal and beyond, providing security to pilgrims," a senior security official told PTI. This proactive approach establishes a protective layer to deter terrorists from approaching the national highway and targeting convoys of pilgrims, he said. Equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets such as drones, metal detectors and surveillance equipment, and sniffer dogs, the soldiers meticulously sanitise the highway and certain hinterland areas as part of their security duties, the ...

Amarnath Yatra temporarily suspended after rain lashes parts of Kashmir

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended on Friday due to bad weather as rain lashed many parts of Kashmir, officials said. The yatra was suspended along both the Baltal and the Pahalgam routes, they said. "The yatra has been suspended and no pilgrim is being allowed to move towards the holy cave shrine this morning," the officials said. Heavy showers, which started early on Friday, forced the temporary suspension of the pilgrimage, they added. The pilgrims have been stopped at the Baltal and the Nunwan base camps. The yatra will resume once the weather improves, the officials said. On Thursday, 17,202 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, taking the cumulative total of devotees who have had 'darshan' of the natural ice lingam formation in the south Kashmir Himalayas to 84,768 so far.

4th batch of 4,758 pilgrims leave for Amarnath shrine, say officials

A fresh batch of 4,758 pilgrims left the base camp here on Monday for the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. Over 20,000 pilgrims have paid their obeisance at the 3,880-metre high cave shrine till early Monday. The fourth batch of pilgrims left in two back-to-back convoys and were escorted by eight security vehicles and an ambulance between 3.40 am and 4.10 am, the officials said. While 3,030 pilgrims took the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route for their yatra, 1,728 pilgrims took the shorter but steep 14-km Baltal route, they said. With this, a total of 17,565 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the valley since June 30 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu, Mukesh Singh on Sunday visited Ramban district along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and took stock of security at the transit camp in Banihal and en route the shrine, a police spokesman said. During the security review,

Third batch of 4,903 pilgrims leave for Kashmir to join Amarnath Yatra

A fresh batch of 4,903 pilgrims left the base camp here on Sunday to join the annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. With this, a total of 12,807 pilgrims have so far undertaken the pilgrimage since June 30 when Lt Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch. Over 8,000 pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine on the first day of the 62-day yatra which commenced from both the twin tracks - the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steep 14-km-long Baltal route in Ganderbal district on Saturday. The officials said 2,557 devotees, including 379 women and 226 sadhus, left in 104 vehicles for Pahalgam, while 2,346 pilgrims left in a convoy of 131 vehicles for the Baltal base camp early today. More than 3.5 lakh people have registered themselves online for the pilgrimage so far.

Rescue teams of J-K Police conduct mock drills on Amarnath yatra routes

The government is also working closely with various departments to ensure proper arrangements for lodging, power, water, security, and waste management