KNZ NEWS DESK
Srinagar, June 29 : Pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas was suspended on Friday due to slippery road conditions following heavy rain during the night.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra and 1,300 pilgrims, including women and sadhus, had paid obeisance at the cave shrine on the first day of the 60-day-long yatra on Thursday.
The pilgrimage was suspended from both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam tracks following heavy rain due to which the roads have become very slippery, official sources said.
No yatri was so far allowed to move towards the cave shrine from both sides, they said, adding that similarly pilgrims, who paid obeisance at the cave shrine till last evening, have also been stopped there.
They said pilgrims will be allowed to move ahead only after the weather improves and tracks become safe for undertaking foot journey.
Commencement of the pilgrimage was considerably delayed on Thursday due to continuing rain.
The pilgrimage commenced only in afternoon, from both Baltal and the Pahalgam routes when weather improved, an official spokesman said, adding that 1,316 pilgrims were able to start journey through Baltal route and 60 through Pahalgam route, for the holy shrine.
