The annual Amarnath Yatra to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will be temporarily suspended from August 23, 2023, due to reduced pilgrim flow and track restoration works.
The yatra, which began on July 1, 2023, has so far seen over 4.4 lakh pilgrims pay obeisance at the shrine. However, the pilgrim movement has declined since July 23, with the melting of the naturally formed ice Shiv Lingam at the shrine.
The Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has decided to temporarily suspend the yatra from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes from August 23. The Chari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, will however proceed via the traditional Pahalgam route marking the culmination of the yatra on August 31.
The SASB has said that the decision to suspend the yatra was taken after considering the reduced pilgrim flow and the urgent repairs and maintenance of the yatra tracks at vulnerable stretches being undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
A fresh batch of 362 pilgrims left in a convoy of 11 vehicles from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu on Sunday to join the yatra. All the 362 pilgrims are heading for the Baltal base camp to undertake the yatra.
The SASB has advised the pilgrims to coordinate with their respective travel agents and tour operators for further details.
