Jammu: Undeterred by the two-day suspension of the Amarnath Yatra due to inclement weather, stranded pilgrims on Monday said they were willing to wait as long as necessary for the annual pilgrimage to resume, while praising the arrangements made by the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
Authorities on Sunday temporarily suspended the Amarnath Yatra in Kashmir as well as the pilgrimages to the Mata Vaishno Devi and Shiv Khori shrines in Jammu amid heavy rainfall. The pilgrimages remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Monday.
The suspension has left thousands of pilgrims stranded at base camps and transit points in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban and Banihal areas. Pilgrims from different parts of the country said they were determined to complete the pilgrimage, even if it meant waiting for several days.
Niranjan, along with 11 friends, has come all the way from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh for the Amarnath Yatra.
“We have travelled such a long distance because Lord Shiva has called us. Even if we have to wait for two or three more days, we will do so gladly. We will definitely complete the yatra as such an opportunity comes very rarely,” he said.
Niranjan and his friends have been staying at the Bhagwati Nagar base camp for the last two days. He said the weather was improving and expressed hope that the pilgrimage would resume soon.
“It was extremely hot and humid earlier, but now the weather is pleasant and improving. I am praying for the weather to become clear at the earliest,” he added.
Santosh Devi, who travelled from Nepal with 18 family members, said they would return home only after offering prayers at the cave shrine.
“We will not go back unless we perform darshan at the holy cave shrine. Rains and bad weather cannot discourage us. We will wait for days, but will have darshan,” she said.
The pilgrims also praised the arrangements made for the annual pilgrimage, saying all essential facilities were available.
“The Jammu and Kashmir administration has made excellent arrangements. There are proper facilities for accommodation, food and drinking water. We have not faced any inconvenience,” Suresh Kumar of Delhi said, who is on his first visit to the cave shrine.
Another pilgrim from Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, Rajinder Shekhawat, echoed similar views, saying langars were functioning smoothly and food and other facilities were satisfactory.
Authorities have suspended the movement of pilgrims from the Jammu base camp and both the Baltal and Pahalgam routes as a precautionary measure in view of heavy rainfall and the threat of landslides and flash floods.
Officials have said the yatra will resume once weather conditions improve and the tracks are declared safe for movement.
More than 3.76 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine since the yatra began on July 3. The 57-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to conclude on August 28.
