The Amarnath Yatra is undertaken by pilgrims every year to see a Shivling (a form of Shiva) that forms naturally in a high altitude cave.
There are 2 routes for the Amarnath Yatra. The Baltal route is shorter but at higher altitudes. The other route that begins at Pahalgam is longer but taken by more pilgrims.
The yatra dates change every year becuase they are based on the lunar Hindu calendar. The yatra begins on skandshasthi and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan).
This year, the yatra dates are June 30 – August 11.
The Cloudburst
On July 8th, Friday, at about 5:30 pm, a cloudburst event happened at the lower Amarnath cave. This led to flash floods.
Relief and rescue operations are on and all national relief agencies are helping. NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, BSF, Indian Army, Indian Air Force, CRPF, JnK Police, are all working together.
About 15,000 people have been moved to the lower base camp. Search is on for pilgrims whose whereabouts are not known.
#AmarnathYatra2022
— Chinar Corps🍁 – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) July 9, 2022
Aerial rescue operations by #Chinarwarriors continue in full swing.#IndianArmy #AmarnathYatra #Amarnath #AmarnathCloudburst #SANJY2022@NorthernComd_IA@adgpi @PRODefSrinagar @crpf_srinagar @crpfindia @BSF_Kashmir @PIBSrinagar pic.twitter.com/SKadI22N3T
What is a cloudburst?
Simply put, a cloudburst is an event where there is a lot of rainfall within a short period of time.
It is caused by a phenomenon called orographic lift.
It is more common in the mountains.