Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday said Amarnath Yatra would resume on Tuesday from Jammu base camp after being suspended for the last three days due to the curfew.
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.
Drones are being used for aerial security of the Amarnath base camp at Bhagwati Nagar area of Jammu city for the first time while at least 20,000 security personnel have been deployed along the two routes.
Authorities on Friday suspended Amarnath yatra from Jammu in view of the continued strike in Kashmir Valley over transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. The devotees were not allowed to proceed from Bhagwati Nagar base camp to the Amarnath cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the Kashmir Himalayas.
Another tragedy struck on the Amarnath pilgrims on Sunday when a bus on its way to Pahalgam fell into a deep gorge.
The C-17 Globemaster can airlift around 230 passengers in one go and takes less time to fly between different places.
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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.
In wake of the last year's attack, special gadgets and new and better technology have been used to further strengthen the security.
On the Opposition's poll promise of statehood restoration, Shah said, "I want to ask Farooq Abdullah and Rahul Gandhi, who is going to restore the statehood. You cannot give it back. Why are you misleading the public?"
Amid chanting of religious hymns and tolling of bells, the annual Amarnath Yatra began on Tuesday with the first batch of 2,837 pilgrims starting their journey from Jammu to the cave shrine in south Kashmir, protected by a three-tier security ring.
'I believe that Baba Budha Amarnath saved me.'
The men, who had allegedly helped the four terrorists by providing them with vehicles and shelter, were arrested recently and taken into remand for further questioning, the police said.
The principal secretary (home) issued a security advisory, saying pilgrims and tourists 'may curtail their stay' and 'return as soon as possible'.
Union Ministers Jitendra Singh and Hansraj Ahir assure Mehbooba Mufti of the Centre's support.
The Corps commander said Pakistan and its army were desperate to disrupt peace in Kashmir Valley.
Heavy rains were lashing Pahalgam and Baltal sections of Amarnath routes and tracks have become slippery.
"The scheduled round of talks between the Samiti and the Governor's panel at Jammu on Thursday afternoon has been deferred in view of indisposition of the committee's chief S S Bloeria at Srinagar," an official spokesman said.
Of these, 64,993 pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine till Tuesday evening, while over 1,500 had darshan on Wednesday morning.
Talks will resume between Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra's mediator and the group spearheading the agitation over the Amarnath land row on Saturday, amidst reports that a peace formula was in the making.S S Bloeria will hold talks with the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti in Jammu on the issue. The talks were deferred over the last two days because Bloeria was unwell.Amidst reports of peace formula in the offing, the group spokesman said there was no such proposal.
The sources said two other people, suspected to be overground workers for militants, have also been detained for questioning.
Day curfew was lifted on Thursday in Jammu and Udhampur districts, while it was relaxed for varying periods in other areas of Jammu province, which was reeling under massive protests over the Amarnath land row. Curfew, which was reimposed in Jammu on Wednesday on the third and final day of 'Jail Bharo Andolan' of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti, was lifted for the day from 5 am to 8 pm on Thursday, official sources said.
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.
'With all outlets of public expression virtually choked for the last five years, suppressed anger and frustration is looking for an opening via the ballot box.' 'There is no escape from the inevitability of the 'Engineer Rashid' factor surfacing in a big enough way to upset everyone's applecart,' alerts Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the veteran commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The Amarnath yatra was suspended on Saturday due to closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the wake of a landslide triggered by heavy rains in Udhampur district of the state.
Around 6,400 security personnel have been positioned all along the route to the Amarnath cave shrine to foil terrorrist attacks
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 ice Shiv lingam has melted down owing to the rise in temperature.
'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.
Demanding deployment of army in Kashmir to bring back normalcy, Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangrash Samiti, which had spearheaded the land agitation in Jammu last year, on Friday gave a call for a Jammu bandh on Saturday to protest the alleged attempts to disrupt the pilgrimage.
Describing the Amarnath yatra as the most secular pilgrimage in the world, Jammu and Kashmir Governor S K Sinha said it symbolises the pluralistic ethos of Kashmir.
The yatra was suspended for three hours as explosives experts removed the IED and then checked the entire area all over again, official sources said.
A meeting of senior police and civil officers under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Pawan Kotwal was held on Friday to review the yatra arrangements.
All 10 members of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board sent in their resignations to Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra on Wednesday.
Curfew was lifted on Friday in Jammu and adjoining areas which witnessed violence during a bandh called by a Hindu outfit to protest the alleged suicide by a man over the Amarnath land row.
The annual Amarnath yatra has been re-scheduled and will now commence from June 15. The postponement has been forced by the presence of heavy snow on the yatra route to the Himalayan Cave Shrine located at a height of 13000 feet from both southern Chandanwari and northern Baltal routes.
The Amarnath yatra, suspended for two days, resumed from Jammu on Friday.
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