Heavy Rain Disrupts Pilgrimages: Char Dham, Amarnath & Vaishno Devi Yatras Suspended

Heavy rainfall and landslides have impacted major pilgrimage routes in northern India, causing authorities to temporarily suspend the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand as well as the Amarnath and Vaishno Devi Yatras in Jammu and Kashmir. The preventative step comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red and orange alerts for heavy rainfall in the area. Read on to know more.

Char Dham Yatra Suspended Due To Heavy Rainfall

According to the Hindu, on Monday, the Uttarakhand administration temporarily halted the Char Dham Yatra after heavy rain caused landslides along the pilgrimage routes. Authorities said the yatra was halted as a precaution following IMD’s red and orange weather alerts.

Also Read: Uttarakhand Bans Mobiles & Cameras In Kedarnath & Other Char Dham Temples; No Reels & Videos!

The officials have also advised district officials to stop pilgrims from proceeding towards Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri until weather conditions get better. The annual Char Dham Yatra, which began in April this year, has witnessed a large influx of devotees over the past few months.

Vaishno Devi, Amarnath Yatras In J&K Also Halted

Additionally, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities have also temporarily suspended the Amarnath and Mata Vaishno Devi Yatras due to the adverse weather forecast.

According to Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg, the Amarnath Yatra has been suspended from both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes from July 19 as a precautionary measure. No pilgrim movement has been allowed from the Baltal and Nunwan/Chandanwari base camps, while fresh convoys from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu have also been stopped. Officials said the yatra will resume only after route safety is assessed and weather conditions improve. So far, more than 3.76 lakh pilgrims have visited the holy Amarnath cave shrine during this year’s pilgrimage.

Also Read: Vaishno Devi Yatra Suspended For Safety Reasons After J&K Receives Season’s First Snowfall

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has also been temporarily suspended following the IMD’s weather advisory. Officials said the decision was taken in the interest of public safety, urging devotees to postpone their journey until further notice.

The IMD has forecast moderate to widespread rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir from July 19 to July 23, and pilgrims have been advised to follow official updates regarding the resumption of both yatras.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

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