The Amarnath yatra resumed today from Jammu after it was suspended for two days due to inclement weather in Kashmir, with a batch of over 2,200 pilgrims leaving for the Pahalgam base camp for the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine, officials said.

The authorities, however, declared the Baltal trek unsafe and suspended the yatra from there.

“Due to landslides and shooting stones, the trek from Baltal to the cave shrine is unsafe for the yatris,” an official said.

“It has been decided that no yatri will be allowed to move on this trek till the conditions are reviewed,” he added.

The pilgrims on Saturday left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in an escorted convoy of 51 vehicles for Kashmir Valley. Pilgrims using helicopter services only will be allowed to perform the yatra from Baltal side for the time being.

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“The 8th batch of 2,203 Pahalgam-bound pilgrims, including 311 women, left in a convoy of 51 vehicles from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp at around 0240 hours and are expected to reach the base camp in Anantnag district of south Kashmir later in the day,” a police official said.

Arrangements have been made for free transport of yatris from Baltal to Pahalgam so that could undertake the Yatra using the Pahalgam-cave shrine trek, authorities said.

Five persons including four pilgrims and a helper were killed by a landslide on July 3 in Brarimarg-Railpathri area of Baltal-Cave shrine trek. Since then, no pilgrim has been allowed to use this trek for the yatra.

The pilgrimage from the traditional 36-km Pahalgam route had resumed on Friday.

The yatra was suspended from the Jammu base camp on Thursday to avoid overcrowding in the camps in the Valley after heavy rains coupled with landslides and shooting of stones forced suspension of the yatra from the twin tracks a day earlier.

Due to the suspension of the yatra, thousands of pilgrims also got stranded in the winter capital after they reached Jammu from across the country to undertake the annual pilgrimage in south Kashmir Himalayas.

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Sanjeev Verma said around 20,000 pilgrims are staying in various identified centres and directions have been issued to all the officers concerned for ensuring healthcare, sanitation, uninterrupted water and power supply for the comfortable stay of the yatris.

“The administration at the highest level is monitoring the safety, health and comfort of the yatris and the officers are on round the clock duty for security and other arrangements made for Yatra,” he said.

He said necessary measures were initiated to accommodate the heavy rush of yatris.

Verma said many pilgrims are also visiting other pilgrim tourist destinations like the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and Shri Shiv Khori Shrine under tour packages of Tourism department.

The 60-day annual yatra commenced on June 28 and 73,023 pilgrims had ‘darshan’ of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam at the cave shrine till last evening.

(With inputs from agencies)