The annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir has resumed after a six-day suspension caused by heavy rainfall and adverse weather conditions. According to officials, the 18th batch of over 6,000 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp early Saturday morning, heading towards the Baltal base camp located in the Kashmir Valley. The pilgrimage was temporarily halted on July 19 due to concerns over inclement weather and the risk of landslides.

Both routes leading to the cave temple, situated at an altitude of 3,880 meters, were significantly impacted by the weather. These routes include the traditional 48-kilometer Pahalgam route from Anantnag district and the shorter 14-kilometer Baltal route from Ganderbal district. Officials reported that the 18th batch, consisting of 1,470 women, 25 children, and 54 sadhus, left for the Baltal base camp in a convoy of 223 vehicles at 2:40 AM under tight security.

No convoy was dispatched for the Pahalgam route. The pilgrimage was restarted following improvements in weather conditions and the reopening of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which had been closed for three days due to landslides and falling rocks along the Udhampur-Ramban route. The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, had flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the journey commenced on July 2.

The pilgrimage is set to conclude on Raksha Bandhan, August 28. So far, approximately 400,000 pilgrims have visited the temple, with around 120,000 starting their journey from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp. Pilgrims opting for the Jammu base camp are escorted to Kashmir in convoys under extensive security arrangements.