Several measure have been taken to beef up security for the pilgrimage.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired at the security forces.
The decision to keep the pilgrimage symbolic was taken after discussions with members of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, officials said.
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With less than 10 days left for the start of annual Amarnath Yatra, the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government said there is a terror threat to the nearly two-month-long pilgrimage and that additional security forces are being deployed to provide safety.
The ice Shiv lingam has melted down owing to the rise in temperature.
The yatra would now be on for 45 days from the existing 30 days.
Curfew-like restrictions were imposed on Saturday in parts of Kashmir, including Srinagar city, and Amarnath yatra suspended as authorities apprehended protests in the Valley, where tension prevailed following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani by security forces.
Eleven persons, including 10 devotees, have died due to medical reasons during the ongoing pilgrimage to Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
The Amarnath pilgrimage resumed on Monday after remaining suspended for three days following flash floods that claimed 15 lives, while the Jammu and Kashmir administration said it would get a clear picture by Tuesday about the damage.
The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will resume on Tuesday, they said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday held three back-to-back meetings with top officials of the security establishment to assess the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, including the recent killings of civilians, as well as reviewed arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra for which the UT administration will provide RFID tags to every pilgrim.
'Based upon the circumstances, the Board decided with heavy heart that it is not advisable to hold and conduct this year's Shri Amarnathji Yatra and expressed its regret to announce the cancellation of Yatra 2020,' the SASB said in a statement.
A rescue team recovered the body of Delhi resident Shailendra, 30, from the landslide-hit area along the Baltal route of the pilgrimage on Wednesday, a police official said.
A cloudburst hit near the base camp of the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday expressed apprehension that Pakistan and its sympathisers might try to disrupt the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra that starts from July 2.
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine will begin on Monday albeit only from the Baltel route as the traditional south route via Pahalgam is still snow-bound.
The revered Chhari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, reached Pahalgam on Saturday, August 9, 2025, marking the start of traditional rituals associated with the Amarnath Yatra.
Nine more pilgrims, including a couple from Odisha, died en route to the 3,880-metre high holy shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas during the last 24 hours, taking the death toll in the ongoing yatra to 97.
A severe cold wave has intensified across North India, with Delhi recording its lowest temperature of the season. Rajasthan experienced sub-zero temperatures, and several states have issued alerts and closed schools due to the extreme conditions.
Kashmir continued to be under a state of curfew and security forces continued to be on a state of high alert for the second consecutive day across the Valley.
A controversy erupted after a train with dilapidated and dirty coaches was provided to ferry Border Security Force (BSF) personnel from Tripura for deployment during the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw suspending four officials and ordering an inquiry.
More than 8,000 pilgrims on Monday paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine.
On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Head Priest Mahant Deependra Giri along with sadhus and devotees at the Amareshwar temple in Srinagar offered the traditional Chhari Pujan to the Chhari Mubarak or the holy silver mace of Lord Shiva before leaving for the Amarnath cave to conclude the annual Amarnath Yatra.
The advisory comes in the wake of the recent inclement weather along the Nepalganj-Simikot-Hilsa route of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nepal, and the consequent stranding of pilgrims for over a week.
The 'charri mubarak', carried by around 500 saints led by its custodian, Mahant Deepinder Giri, reached the shrine, 143 km from Srinagar, around 0845 IST.
The ongoing pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas was on Tuesday suspended from Pahalgam and Baltal base camps as heavy rains lashed parts of the Valley, officials said in Srinagar.
The pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas was suspended from Pahalgam route on Thursday afternoon following inclement weather.
A fresh batch of 6,162 pilgrims, including 1,360 women and 222 Sadhus on Monday left the winter capital for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir, officials said.
Delhi recorded its coldest January morning in three years with the minimum temperature dropping to 3 degrees Celsius. Cold wave conditions are expected to persist, and air quality has deteriorated to the 'very poor' category.
Saturday's batch left in a fleet of 126 vehicles, including 89 buses, under proper escort, they said, adding the motorcade of vehicles have already crossed Batote around 0940 hours and would be stopped at Chanderkote near Ramban as road ahead is blocked.
The Holy mace of Lord Shiva reached the 3,880 metre-high holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Saturday morning coinciding with the Hindu festival of Rakhsha Bandan, marking the end of the two-month annual pilgrimage, official sources said.
Three persons, including two devotees, were killed and over 10,000 pilgrims stranded as heavy rain lashed parts of Jammu and Kashmir prompting authorities to suspend the annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Sunday.
The annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir started Friday amid tight security and despite the rains along the route this morning.
The yatra from Bhagwati Nagar base camp was suspended on Wednesday, for the second time within a week. Although officials said the pilgrims were stopped at Jammu due to heavy rush at the base camps in Kashmir, sources said the prevailing law-and-order situation in the wake of violent protests across Kashmir Valley prompted authorities to stop the pilgrims as a precautionary measure.
The Chhari Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva on Tuesday reached the shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas, marking the culmination of the two-month annual pilgrimage.
Fresh clashes broke out in curfew-bound Kashmir Valley on Saturday in which 30 persons, including 15 security personnel were injured, as protests against the Ramban killings on Thursday continued in Jammu and Kashmir.
A batch of 429 pilgrims left for the yatra from Jammu. The pilgrims included 32 women and 102 sadhus.
Mahant Dipendra Giri and a group of sadhus, who carried the Chhari Mubarik, (holy mace of Lord Shiva) were among the first to have the darshan on Tuesday morning.
The 37-day annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath will commence from June 25, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board which manages the yatra said.
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