Amarnath Pilgrimage resumes

Srinagar: Pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas resumed from both shortest Baltal and traditional Pahalgam routes after remaining suspended yesterday.
The yatra was suspended due to slippery conditions following rains. Officials said pilgrimage was resumed from both tracks following improvement in the weather conditions. More than 20,000 pilgrims, including women, children and sadhusleft Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps to holy Amarnath cave shrine. The yatris, who were staying in different halting stations on traditional Pahalgam route, were also allowed to move towards their respective destinations—Cave shrine and base camp.About 90,000 pilgrims, most of them unregistered, had darshan of the holy self-made ice-Shivlingam in the cave shrine since the commencement of the 46-day-long pilgrimage from June 29.The pilgrimage will conclude on August 13, the Rakshabandhan day. About 13 pilgrims died due to cardiac failures at different places en route the holy cave from Baltal and Pahalgam routes since the commencement of the yatra.