The annual journey to the Amarnath shrine in the southern Himalayas of Kashmir will be temporarily halted starting August 23 due to a decrease in the number of pilgrims and the need for track repairs, according to an official spokesperson’s announcement on Sunday. However, the Chari Mubarak, the sacred mace of Lord Shiva, will proceed via the traditional Pahalgam route, concluding the pilgrimage on August 31.
Since its commencement on July 1, over 440,000 devotees have visited the shrine. Pilgrims have been using the traditional 48-km Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district. The decision to suspend the yatra comes as there has been a significant decrease in the number of pilgrims and urgent repairs are being conducted on vulnerable stretches of the yatra tracks by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
In light of these factors, the pilgrimage will be temporarily halted from both routes starting August 23. The Chari Mubarak will proceed via the traditional Pahalgam route, marking the culmination of the yatra on August 31. The decline in pilgrim movement began on July 23 with the melting of the naturally formed ice Shiv Lingam at the shrine. A group of 362 pilgrims recently left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp to join the yatra at the Baltal base camp, as part of a convoy of 11 vehicles.
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