Srinagar (PTI) The annual Amarnath pilgrimage was suspended on Sunday after heavy snowfall and rains rendered the twin tracks to the cave shrine unsafe.

"No pilgrim was allowed from the base camps of Baltal in Ganderbal district and Nunwan along the traditional Pahalgam route in Anantnag district this morning," official sources said.

The yatra was suspended from both the tracks because of fresh snowfall and incessant rains, the sources said.

They said three inches of snow had accumulated in the cave shrine area, while a massive landslide triggered by incessant rains blocked the shortest 16 km Baltal route near Rail pathri on Saturday evening.

The rains also rendered the traditional 45-km Pahalgam track slippery besides there was a threat of avalanches in the snowbound Mahagunas and Panjtarni along the ardous route, the sources said.

With the improvement in weather on Sunday morning, authorities pressed into service labourers and cleared the landslide at Rail Pathri, paving the way for the return journey of pilgrims stranded at the cave shrine due to imclement weather since Saturday evening, the sources said.

They said the pilgrims who had reached Sheshnag and Panjtarni on Saturday were also allowed to move towards the cave shrine for 'darshan' of the naturally formed ice-shivlingam.

The yatra was also suspended for a day along the Pahalgam route on Friday but as the weather improved a batch of 6,786 pilgrims were allowed to proceed towards the cave shrine on Saturday, the sources said.

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