Amarnath pilgrims take Manali-Ladakh route after militant attack

MANALI: Post the terrorist attack on

pilgrims at Anantnag

, more and more Amarnath pilgrims are taking the

Manali-Ladakh route

for their yatra.

According to sources, over 200 private cars and taxis are travelling from Manali towards Ladakh every day and many of them are heading towards Srinagar for the yatra. Similarly, many pilgrims are coming to Manali after the yatra. Usually, some pilgrims take the

Jammu-Srinagar-Leh-Manali round trip

while others take a one-way flight from Leh or Srinagar airport every year. But, according to travel agents, the number of pilgrims taking the Manali-Leh route has increased this season.

"Demand for taxi is on a high. SUVs are more preferred than buses on this road. This route is also safe," a travel agent in Leh Tsering Pasang said.

While militancy has failed to stop most of the pilgrims from taking the

Jammu-Pahalgam route

, for many pilgrims the Leh route also gives them the opportunity to visit remote places of Ladakh. "My friends were worried about the safety and security. We chose to come by Manali-Leh route. We have booked our flights back home from Srinagar," Rajan Shah, a pilgrim from Mumbai said. He added that many of his friends have also planned to take this route for the yatra.

While Jammu-Pahalgam is just a day-long journey, Manali-Pahalgam is generally a four-day long road journey. The Manali-Leh road is more challenging and exhausting and taxi charges are almost three times more than the traditional route via Jammu.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.