Rain slows down Amarnath Yatra

Vartha Bharati | 29-06-2018 | 09:43:00 IST

Jammu, June 29 : Heavy rains slowed down the progress of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims as authorities allowed only a small batch of 856 yatris from here to move towards the valley on Friday to avoid overcrowding at the base camps.

Reports from the two base camps in Baltal and Pahalgam indicate that it has been raining all along the two treks leading to the Cave Shrine since early on Friday.

"No pilgrim was allowed to move towards the Cave Shrine because of rain and slippery conditions along the two treks," an official said.

"A third batch of 856 yatris left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas at 6.25 a.m. in an escorted convoy of 29 vehicles," police said.

The Jammu-Srinagar highway in the Ramban district that pilgrim convoys use to reach the valley was blocked on Thursday for several hours. Heavy rains on Friday again slowed down the traffic.

This year's Amarnath Yatra started on Thursday as 1,007 pilgrims prayed inside the cave shrine. Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N.Vohra also joined the 'Pratham Puja' at the holy cave.

The 60-day long Yatra will end on August 26 coinciding with Shravan Purnima festival.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.

Palaniswami will meet same fate of Bihar CM, says Stalin

07-03-2026 ¦ 07-03-2026 IST

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin (PTI)

Madurai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday claimed that AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami would meet the same fate as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, at the hands of the BJP.

Only till 2026 TN Assembly polls, Palaniswami will be AIADMK chief, and later the BJP would "ease him out of office," Stalin alleged and slammed Palaniswami as an epitome of "betrayal".

"The BJP will dislodge Palaniswami from the top AIADMK post of general secretary, and bring a leader of its choice to that position," he said after welcoming scores of O Panneerselvam's supporters into the DMK in a rally organised in Madurai.

The expelled AIADMK leader had joined the DMK along with his former MP son O Ravindranath, in the presence of Stalin on February 27 in Chennai.