Amarnath Yatra halted for one day

Authorities suspended the pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine on Saturday following a strike call by separatists in Kashmir on Martyrs' Day.

"The yatra from Jammu has been halted as a precautionary measure," an official said. So far, 12 batches of devotees have left for the base camps at Pahalgam and Baltal since the beginning of the pilgrimage on June 30.

July 13 is observed as 'Martyrs' Day' in the Valley. On this day in 1931, firing by the troops of Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh had killed 22 people. The bandh call was a mark of respect to those who lost their lives 88 years ago.

As many as 1.31 lakh pilgrims have completed Amarnath Yatra within 10 days of commencement, despite terror threats in Jammu and Kashmir valley.

Tight security arrangements and facilities provided by the Amarnath Shrine Board in affiliation with the Centre have been listed as the main reason by the pilgrims for the massive turn-up.

The 45-day long Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave shrine started on July 1 and will end on August 15, coinciding with the Shravan Purnima festival.

This year, several new measures have been introduced, including usage of drones, CCTVs and the development of a mobile app so that the passage of pilgrims can be tracked constantly and assistance be provided if needed.

Yatris can reach the shrine either from the Baltal base camp through a 14-km long uphill trek or from the Pahalgam base camp via the 42-km long uphill trek. Helicopter services are available for the pilgrims at the base camps.

In his recent visit to the Valley, Home Minister Shah held talks over the security arrangements for the Yatra and ordered all security agencies to remain on high alert and take steps to prevent acts of violence during the annual pilgrimage.