Amarnath Yatra resumes after six-day suspension due to heavy rain, landslides

The annual Amarnath Yatra resumed on Saturday, July 25, 2026, after a six-day suspension caused by inclement weather. A fresh batch of more than 6,000 pilgrims departed from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu for the Baltal base camp in the Kashmir Valley, officials said.

The pilgrimage was halted on July 19 as a precautionary measure following persistent rainfall and adverse weather conditions across Jammu and Kashmir. The two routes to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine — the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter 14-kilometre Baltal route in Ganderbal district — were severely affected.

Officials stated that the 18th batch comprised 6,269 pilgrims, including 1,470 women, 25 children, and 54 sadhus. They travelled in a convoy of 223 vehicles under tight security, departing around 2:40 a.m. for the Baltal base camp. No convoy was dispatched for the Pahalgam route on Saturday.

The yatra resumed after weather conditions improved and the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway became trafficable again. The highway had been closed for three days due to landslides and shooting stones at several locations along the Udhampur-Ramban stretch.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha flagged off the first batch of pilgrims from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp on July 2, a day before the annual pilgrimage began in the valley. The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

So far, nearly four lakh (400,000) pilgrims have visited the cave shrine. Of these, around 1.20 lakh (120,000) pilgrims commenced their journey from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. Pilgrims opting for the Jammu base camp are transported to Kashmir in escorted convoys under elaborate security arrangements.