SRINAGAR, Aug 20 : Due to limited pilgrim flow and track maintenance work, the yearly pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas will continue to be temporarily suspended beginning on August 23. On August 31, the spokesman announced, the Chari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, would travel down the customary Pahalgam path to commemorate the end of the yatra. Since the 62-day yatra began on July 1 using the twin tracks of the traditional 48-km Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district, over 4.4 lakh pilgrims have already visited the shrine. The spokesman quoted Shrine Board officials when he stated: “Movement of pilgrims on both the tracks leading to the holy cave is not advised due to a considerable reduction in the flow of pilgrims and the urgent repairs and maintenance of the yatra tracks at vulnerable stretches being undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).””Therefore, with effect from August 23, the yatra shall be temporarily suspended from both routes. On August 31, Chari Mubarak will travel down the customary Pahalgam route to signal the end of the yatra.
When the shrine’s naturally created ice Shiv Lingam began to melt on July 23, the number of pilgrims began to decrease. On Sunday, a brand-new group of 362 pilgrims embarked on the yatra from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in a convoy of 11 cars.
According to them, all 362 of the pilgrims are making their way to the base camp of Baltal to begin the yatra.
