Srinagar, Jul 21 (UNI) Pilgrimage to holy Amarnath cave shrine has been suspended from Baltal due to rain, while it was going on from traditional Pahalgam route. Yesterday, 12,479 yatris, including women, children and sadhus, paid obeisance at the cave shrine. With this, a total of 2,57,334 pilgrims had darshan of the self-made Ice-Shivlingam, which is now melting due to increase in the mercury and heavy rush of pilgrims. Despite rain, fresh batch of pilgrims, including women and sadhus, left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp at 0530 hrs for Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional 45-km-long track to holy Cave, a Yatra Control Room (YCR) official told UNI. He said the pilgrims were allowed as track was safe for undertaking the foot journey. Similarly yatris, who had night halt at Chandanwari and other halting station on the track, also started their journey towards the cave shrine early this morning. However, the yatra was suspended from shortest Baltal track due to heavy overnight rain and slippery road conditions. The yatra will be resumed when the weather improves, he said, adding that very less number of pilgrims had arrived at the Baltal base camp following closure of the Srinagar-Baltal road due to landslides and damage caused to road following cloudburst at Kullan in Gund tehsil. UNI BAS SV 1010