Page 11 - Jammu And Kashmir

Jammu-Vaishno Devi rail line doubling: What it means for pilgrims, tourism

Jammu and Katra are currently linked by a single track, which poses operational constraints. The doubling project will enhance rail capacity, boost tourist footfall and additional train services

Fresh batch of pilgrims leaves Jammu for Amarnath after one-day suspension

After a day-long suspension due to heavy rains and landslides in Kashmir, the Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday with a fresh batch of over 7,900 pilgrims leaving Jammu for the twin base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The Yatra also resumed from the twin base camps of Pahalgam and Baltal in Kashmir, officials said. Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the 16th batch of 7,908 pilgrims including 5,957 men, 1,613 women, 26 children and 310 sadhus and sadhvis left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 261 vehicles for the twin base camps between 3:30 am and 4:25 am, the officials said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 2,879 pilgrims in 92 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 5,029 pilgrims in 169 vehicles, who are undertaking the Yatra via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district, they said. With this, a total of 1,09,461 pilgrims have departed

Amarnath Yatra resumes after being suspended for a day due to heavy rains

The Amarnath Yatra resumed on Friday, a day after it was suspended due to heavy rains across Kashmir, officials said. A fresh batch of pilgrims left for the holy cave shrine from Nunwan and Baltal base camps, they said. The yatra was suspended on Thursday as heavy rains triggered landslides and shooting stones at several places along the treacherous trek. More than 2.50 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas since the yatra began on July 3. The 38-day pilgrimage will conclude on August 9.

Amarnath Yatra suspended from Jammu due to heavy rainfall forecast

The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from here on Thursday following a weather advisory warning of heavy rain in many parts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. This comes a day after a woman pilgrim died and three sustained injuries in a landslide along the Baltal route of the yatra in Ganderbal district. "The yatra has been suspended for today. No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to move from Jammu towards the twin base camps of the holy cave shrine this morning," an official told PTI. He said the step was taken in view of a two-day weather advisory which warned of heavy rains in Jammu and Kashmir, including on the yatra routes in Kashmir. This is the first time the yatra has been suspended from Jammu this year. More than 2.35 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the 3,880-metre-high shrine since the yatra began on July 3. A total of 1,01,553 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu base camp for the valley since July 2, when Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first .

Railway Ministry approves survey for doubling of 77.96 km Jammu-Katra line

The Railway Ministry has approved the final location survey for the doubling of 77.96 km railway line between Jammu and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, aimed at improving connectivity and facilitating pilgrims, officials said on Wednesday. "This survey will cover a length of 77.96 km and its estimated cost will be Rs 12,59,17,363. It is going to lay the foundation for the construction of this future railway line," Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northern Railway, said. The officials stated that the responsibility for implementing the entire project has been assigned to the Northern Railway. "This additional new line will greatly ease the travel of devotees who visit the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. It also reflects the efforts being made by Indian Railways to expand and modernise its network, especially in areas which are important from a strategic and public point of view," Upadhyay said. He added, "This initiative will not only promote pilgrimage and ..

Rahul, Kharge, write to PM Modi, urge legislation for statehood to J&K

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge also urged the Centre to put forth a legislation that will bring the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution

BJP welcomes CAT stay on Urdu mandate for Naib Tehsildar posts in J&K

The BJP on Monday welcomed the decision of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for staying the government order making Urdu mandatory for applying to the post of Naib Tehsildar in Jammu and Kashmir. The CAT directed the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) to accept applications from candidates who possess a graduation with knowledge of any of the five official languages Hindi, Kashmiri, English, Dogri, and Urdu. The Bharatiya Janata Party legislative party on Monday held a dharna in front of the Civil Secretariat and Assembly to lodge their protest and press for the revocation of the government order making Urdu mandatory for Naib Tehsildar examinations in Jammu and Kashmir. "We welcome the decision of the CAT to stay this illegal and discriminatory order of the National Conference government. It is our victory", Senior High Court lawyer and MLA R S Pathania told reporters here. The bench comprising Member (A) Ram Mohan Johri and Member (J) Rajinder

Omar Abdullah grappled by J&K cops as he tries to visit martyrs' grave

July 13 used to be a public holiday in J&K until the state's reorganisation into two UTs in August 2019. It was removed from the list of gazetted holidays by the administration in 2020

12th batch of devotees departs for Amarnath Yatra from Pahalgam's base camp

On Sunday, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced that the ongoing Amarnath Yatra has surpassed the 2-lakh mark

Explained: Why is Martyrs' Day in Jammu and Kashmir controversial?

July 13 marks Martyrs' Day in Jammu and Kashmir, commemorating the 1931 killings of protesters during the Dogra rule. Political detentions and restrictions have reignited debate over its status

Highlights: 2 dead, 8 injured as 4-storey building collapses in Delhi; rescue ops underway

Highlights: Catch all the developments from around the world here

'Attempt to damage ties': Iran denounces social media post on Kashmir

The clarification came in response to an account on X ('Daily Iran News') -- with 400,000 followers and falsely linked to Iran -- claiming Kashmir belongs to Pakistan and Taiwan to China

Amarnath Yatra: Fresh batch of 6,639 pilgrims leaves from Jammu base camp

The 11th batch of 6,639 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Saturday to pay obeisance at the holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The pilgrims, including 1,462 women, 41 children and 181 sadhus and sadhvis, left for the twin base camps of Nunwan-Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal in two separate convoys under tight security arrangements in the early hours of the day, they said. While 4,302 pilgrims are heading for Pahalgam base camp in a convoy of 159 vehicles, 2,337 pilgrims onboard 116 vehicles have preferred the Baltal route, the officials said. The 38-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high cave shrine started from the two routes on July 3 and is scheduled to end on August 9, coinciding with the Raksha Bandhan festival. Over 1.65 lakh pilgrims have so far visited the shrine, which houses a naturally formed Shivlingam.

Amarnath Yatra: 10th batch of over 6,400 pilgrims departs from Jammu

More than 6,400 pilgrims, accompanied by a multi-tier security escort, left for the twin base camps of the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas on Thursday, officials said. Over 1.30 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine since the start of the 38-day annual yatra through the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district on July 3. Escorted by CRPF and police personnel, the 10th batch of 6,482 pilgrims, including 4,838 men, 1,387 women, 16 children, and 241 monks, left the Bhagwati Nagar camp here in 268 vehicles between 3:20 am and 4:04 am. Officials said the first convoy, carrying 2,353 pilgrims in 107 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The second convoy of 161 vehicles is carrying 4,129 pilgrims who are undertaking the journey via the 48-km traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district. With this, a total of 69,270 pilgrims have departed from the Jammu

CM Omar Abdullah says tourism bouncing back in J&K post Pahalgam attack

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that there is an air of optimism about the revival of tourism in the Union Territory after the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people, mostly visitors, dead. Speaking at a travel and tourism event here, Abdullah said there is hope for a new beginning in J&K with tourism "bouncing back" after the terror attack. "2025 is not an easy year for us. The year can be divided into two parts - before and after the Pahalgam attack. We all see that tourism is bouncing back in J&K. There is a message of hope," Abdullah said. People of West Bengal are with J&K, he said, adding that the relationship between the two regions transcends over time in the context of "trust and affection". "West Bengal stood with J&K both politically and economically. We offer adventure and destination tourism. On the ground, there is an air of hope of a new beginning," the chief minister said. Abdullah assured that all necessary steps ...

Amarnath Yatra: 8th batch of devotees departs from Nunwan base camp

The 38-day annual Amarnath pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine in South Kashmir began on July 3 and will conclude on August 9

Delhi HC reserves verdict on Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid bail pleas

The prosecution has opposed the release of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others charged under UAPA in the 2020 Delhi riots case, arguing the violence was pre-planned

7th batch of devotees depart for Amarnath Yatra from Pahalgam's base camp

Visuals from the site showed pilgrims embarking on their spiritual journey towards the holy cave shrine of Lord Amarnath

Amarnath Yatra: Fresh batch of 7.5K pilgrims leave amid multi-tier security

A fresh batch of over 7,500 pilgrims left here early Tuesday for the 3,880-metre-high cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. The 38-day pilgrimage commenced on July 3 from the valley via the twin tracks the traditional 48-km-long Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The yatra will conclude on August 9. Over 94,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the shrine since the start of the yatra, they said. The seventh batch of 7,541 pilgrims, including 5,516 men and 1,765 women, left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here in 309 vehicles for the twin base camps in Kashmir amid tight security arrangements between 2.55 am and 4.05 am, the officials said. The first pilgrim convoy, carrying 3,321 pilgrims in 148 vehicles, left for the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, followed by the second convoy of 4,220 pilgrims in 161 vehicles who are undertaking the yatra via the

Terrorist hideout busted in J-K's Poonch; grenades, ammunition recovered

Acting on intelligence inputs regarding suspicious movement, the joint team launched an operation in the region on Saturday