Page 2 - Amarnath Pilgrims

Batch of Amarnath pilgrims leave Jammu, highway blocked after landslide

After a daylong suspension, the Amarnath Yatra resumed from Jammu on Sunday, with a fresh batch of 1,626 pilgrims leaving the base camp here in the early hours to join the annual pilgrimage in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. However, they were stopped at the Chankerkote Yatri Niwas in Ramban district after a landslide blocked the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- near Keela Morh, the officials said. They said the 34th batch of 1,626 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a convoy of 64 vehicles between 3.30 am and 3.45 am. While 1,092 of them are heading for the Pahalgam base camp in Anantnag district, the remaining 534 devotees are on their way to the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district, they said. The convoy of the pilgrims was stopped at the Chanderkote Yatri Niwas after a landslide blocked the highway near Keela Morh around 6.15 am, prompting the traffic department to advise

32nd batch of over 1,100 Amarnath pilgrims leave Jammu for cave shrine

The 32nd batch of Amarnath Yatris with over 1,100 pilgrims Thursday left the base camp here for the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas amid tight security arrangements, officials said. Over 4.3 lakh devotees paid obeisance at the 3888-metre high shrine since the commencement of the Yatra on July 1, the officials said. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to Amarnath shrine commenced from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal -- on July 1. In the early hours of Thursday, 1,198 pilgrims -- 1,023 men, 116 women, 58 seers and a child -- left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in a convoy of 43 vehicles, the officials said. As many as 932 pilgrims, headed for Pahalgam, left in a convoy of 33 vehicles, while another convoy of 10 vehicles carrying 266 pilgrims left for the Baltal base camp, they added. The Yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31.

Another batch of over 3,000 pilgrims leaves for Amarnath yatra: Officials

A fresh batch of over 3,000 pilgrims left here for the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas on Tuesday, officials said. While 1,160 pilgrims left in a convoy of 38 vehicles for the Baltal base camp, another convoy of 81 vehicles carrying 1,865 pilgrims left for Pahalgam. Over 3.30 lakh pilgrims have so far paid obeisance at the shrine since the commencement of the pilgrimage from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag and Baltal in Ganderbal districts on July 1.

J-K: 2 more Amarnath pilgrims die; total deaths during yatra climbs to 36

Two more Amarnath pilgrims have died, taking the death toll during this year's pilgrimage in the south Kashmir Himalayas to 36, officials said on Saturday. The two pilgrims belonged to Rajasthan. They have been identified as Phateh Lal Manaria (died at the holy cave) and Mangi Lal (died at the Baltal base camp). They were aged 60, the officials said. While Manaria died of cardiac arrest, the cause of Lal's death was being ascertained, they added. These two deaths have taken the toll during the yatra so far this year to 36. Cardiac arrest triggered by low oxygen concentration at high altitudes is one of the most common causes of fatalities among Amarnath pilgrims and security forces posted there. So far, more than three lakh pilgrims have visited the cave shrine to glimpse the natural ice lingam formation. 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 ..

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.

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 Yatra: Over 7,000 pilgrims leave for twin base camps from Jammu

A fresh batch of over 7,000 pilgrims left Jammu city early Saturday for the twin base camps in the Valley to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said. The 62-day annual pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas commenced from the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal -- on July 1. The officials said the 13th batch of 7,392 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a convoy of 272 vehicles amid tight security. While 4,024 pilgrims left for Pahalgam in a convoy of 146 vehicles, 3,368 devotees left for Baltal in 126 vehicles around 4 am, they said. With this, a total of 80,181 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the Valley since June 30. Pilgrims from across the country undertake the Amarnath Yatra to pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine that houses a naturally formed ice shivlingam. At 24,445, the highest number of pilgrims

Amarnath Yatra: DGP reviews security arrangements at Jammu base camp

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh visited the base camp of the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and reviewed the security arrangements. He also interacted with pilgrims and officers at the Yatri Niwas base camp at Bhagwatinagar in the evening, officials said. The annual yatra to the cave shrine of Amarnath in the south Kashmir Himalayas began on July 1 from the twin tracks of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 31. The DGP inspected the security arrangements and mechanisms adopted for the security of pilgrims at the camp, they said. He was briefed by the officers about the deployment plans and management of boarding and lodging of pilgrims besides security arrangements in and around the camp, the officials said. Directing that vigil be maintained at and around the camp, the DGP emphasised that instruction for the movement of yatra convoys and timing schedule should be strictly adhered to.

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.

Five injured as car carrying pilgrims hits road divider in J-K's Udhampur

A car carrying Amarnath pilgrims hit a road divider in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, leaving five people injured, a police official said. The pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh were on their way to the Baltal base camp in Ganderbal district when the driver of their vehicle lost control and hit the road divider at Samroli along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway around 6.15 am, the official said. The injured pilgrims and the driver of the vehicle have been admitted to a hospital, the official said, adding their condition was stated to be stable.

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

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

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

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.