The number of Amarnath yatris leaving daily for the holy cave shrine of Lord Shiva on Tuesday reduced to three-figure, first time during the pilgrimage this year, with only 885 devotees proceeding for the darshan of ice 'lingam' in south Kashmir.
The principal secretary (home) issued a security advisory, saying pilgrims and tourists 'may curtail their stay' and 'return as soon as possible'.
This timeline details major terror attacks on civilians in Kashmir since 2000. It highlights incidents targeting the Sikh community, Amarnath pilgrims, and other civilians, including a massacre of Kashmiri Pandits. The timeline also notes attacks on security personnel, including the 2019 Pulwama attack.
The Amarnath Yatra has been suspended due to heavy rainfall in the Kashmir Valley. The pilgrimage was halted from both Pahalgam and Baltal base camps due to continuous heavy rains, necessitating restoration work on the tracks. A weather advisory has warned of more heavy rain in the region.
At least 36 Amarnath pilgrims sustained minor injuries when five buses collided in the Ramban district along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The accident occurred due to brake failure, and the injured were treated and continued their journey.
A team of doctors, who analysed the causes of death of 17 pilgrims near the cave shrine, have stated in their report that though several pilgrims were unfit for the high altitude travel had been able to secure medical certificates from Registered Medical Practitioners. Mukhtar Ahmad reports.
The two Pakistan-based terrorists of the LeT were killed in an encounter with police at village Nagabal-Derand in Ganderbal district on Sunday night, foiling a plan of the outfit to attack the pilgrims on their return from the cave shrine, a police spokesperson said.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath began on Saturday with over 7,000 pilgrims trekking the 17-km northern Baltel route.
The deployment of the troops and various orders gave rise to the speculations about some major decision in the offing regarding the Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
The 'pratham pujan' which marks the beginning of the annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath was held on Wednesday at Panjtarni, on the Pahalgam-cave shrine trek.
The first batch of pilgrims reached Kashmir on Friday for the annual Amarnath Yatra, beginning Saturday, with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagging off 4,603 yatris in the morning from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas base camp in Jammu under a tight security cover.
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, Omar Abdullah has said his government would not curtail the two-month-long annual Amarnath yatra scheduled to begin in June this year.Hard-line separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has sought curtailment of the yatra period for what he called 'the preservation of ecology in the Kashmir Himalayas'.
Leaders across the political spectrum, actors and many others have condemned the Amarnath Yatra terror attack, in which terrorists killed seven and injured 19 others.
Following the government advisory asking Amarnath yatris, tourists and others to go home, an exodus of sorts started from the Valley on Saturday and continued on Sunday as well. Students have packed their bags, as have tourists and all are leaving the Valley at the height of the tourist season. There is chaos and confusion and amid this the Kashmiri locals are stocking up on essential commodities as they wait for what's in store for them in the future.
More than a dozen Mountain Rescue Teams assisted thousands of pilgrims during this year's Amarnath pilgrimage in the south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said on Monday, as the annual yatra concluded with more than 5.10 lakh pilgrims offering prayers at the cave shrine.
The first batch comprising 1,160 Amarnath yatris was on Friday flagged off by the state tourism minister from Jammu base camp to the holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas.
With security already being beefed up on Jammu-Pahalgam and Jammu-Baltal routes, the Yatra has remained incident-free so far.
At least 16 people have been killed while 15,000 pilgrims, who were stranded near the Amarnath holy cave in Kashmir due to a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst, have been shifted to the lower base camp in Panjtarni, officials said on Saturday.
There were 11,301 tourists when the advisory was issued and only 1,652 of them remained on Saturday.
The General said it was "too early" to take a call on the role of Bangladesh, where a change in government may bring about a change in the relationship between it and India.
The Yatri Niwas Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu serves as the main base camp for the pilgrims from across the country.
The 43-day Amarnath Yatra 2022 starts on June 30 and concludes on August 11.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of 4,890 pilgrims from the Jammu base camp.
The Supreme Court on Thursday held that it is government's constitutional obligation to provide basic facilities to pilgrims who visit religious places and directed the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure proper health and other amenities to Amarnath yatris.
Another tragedy struck on the Amarnath pilgrims on Sunday when a bus on its way to Pahalgam fell into a deep gorge.
Political leaders and other prominent personalities condemned the attack on Amarnath Yatris in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Monday after terrorists open fired at the bus carrying the pilgrims killing seven and injuring 32 others.
Roshan Lal Suthar, a resident of Pansal Dhileara area of Rajasthan, was missing since Tuesday and his body was found near the lower Holy Cave, they said.
The first batch of Amarnath yatris from outside the state was welcomed on Wednesday by the police and civil administration amid tight security arrangements at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir.
More than 40 food items have been banned at the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and the pilgrims have been advised to achieve physical fitness by walking at least 5 kilometres a day, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board said in its health advisory issued on Thursday.
The police claimed the bus driver had violated rules for the pilgrimage.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said the rescue operations launched following a flash flood near the Amarnath cave shrine -- that left 15 people dead -- has been called off and there was no report of any person missing.
According to the officials, fresh batches of pilgrims were not allowed to leave Jammu to embark on their yatra due to closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
'Definitely, crowd management will be a challenge, but we will ensure we have enough forces at hand to take care of any situation.'
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The meeting came in the backdrop of recent developments in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday issued an advisory to Amarnath yatris and tourists asking them to curtail their stay in the Valley, citing security concerns after the Indian Army said that Pakistani terrorists are planning to disrupt the pilgrimage.
The Corps commander said Pakistan and its army were desperate to disrupt peace in Kashmir Valley.
Their enthusiasm evident in the loud chants of 'Bam Bam Bhole'.
The annual Amarnath yatra began on Tuesday amid tight security as the first batch of 2,096 devotees left Jammu base camp for pilgrimage to the 13,500 meter-high cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas.
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