Amarnath Yatra 2022: Water level rose, started flowing over bridge near Brarimarg; Army troops rushed to help pilgrims

New Delhi: On Thursday, Amarnath Yatra started in full swing. Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha performed the puja of ‘Baba Barfani’ and prayed for peace, prosperity, and happiness for all. Following the puja, Sinha said, “I have full faith that the devotees travelling from all over the country to seek the divine blessings of Shri Amarnathji will have a safe and memorable pilgrimage.”

However, due to the sudden rise in the water level at night, water started flowing over the bridge near Brarimarg enroute to the Amarnath shrine. Army troops from the nearest Indian Army camp rushed to the spot to help the pilgrims. The video has surfaced online which shows troops helping the Amarnath yatris.

The Amarnath Yatra started on Thursday routing through the traditional 48-km Nunwan route in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the 14-km Baltal route in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal. On Wednesday morning, the first batch of 5,000 pilgrims started their journey from Jammu. They reached the Nunwan Pahalgam base camp in the Anantnag district of South Kashmir on Thursday.

The second batch of 5,700 pilgrims left for Amarnath on Thursday. Notably, the 43-day yatra will end on August 11, on the occasion of Raksha Bandan. The shrine of Lord Shiva is located 3,880 metres high in the Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Amarnath Yatra began after a gap of two years. In 2019, the yatra was cancelled owing to the abrogation of Article 370 and the separation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. In 2020 and 2021, the yatra did not take place due to Covid-19.