Chardham Yatra halted because of severe rainfall and landslides; Amarnath and Vaishno Devi also closed.
20 July 2026, 1 min read
The Yatra has been paused as a safety precaution following red and orange alert warnings of significant rainfall, they noted.
Landslides have affected the pilgrimage route after the heavy rainfall.
Authorities have instructed local officials to prevent any pilgrims from proceeding amid the adverse weather conditions.
Amarnath, Vaishno Devi, and Shiv Khori yatras suspended for a second day
In a related update, visits to the Amarnath cave shrine, Mata Vaishno Devi, and Shiv Khori in Jammu and Kashmir have been halted for the second consecutive day on Monday due to severe rainfall and unfavorable weather. Officials have recommended that pilgrims remain at base camps and lodging facilities, prohibiting any new movement toward the shrines until further notice.
The Amarnath Yatra has been halted from Jammu, Udhampur, and Ramban toward Srinagar, leaving numerous devotees stranded at various base camps throughout the Union Territory. The Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage from Katra and the Shiv Khori Yatra in Reasi district have also been suspended, with shrine boards advising pilgrims to defer their travel for safety reasons.
This suspension follows ongoing rainfall and reports of cloudbursts in parts of Kashmir since Sunday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted moderate to widespread rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir from July 19 to 24, and officials stated that pilgrimage routes will be reopened only after weather conditions improve and safety evaluations are conducted.
