Dharamshala, June 29 -- The Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra-2026 has been suspended until further orders by the Kullu district administration due to severe safety hazards along the trekking route. Kullu district magistrate and deputy commissioner Anurag Chandra Sharma issued the order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, based on the findings of a joint expert inspection team and the potential threat of natural disasters. According to the order, the yatra will remain suspended until further notice and all temporary camps, tents, ration shops and other structures set up for the pilgrimage must be removed within three days from the date of the order. The Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra, which begins in the middle of July, is considered one of the toughest pilgrimages. There is a 35-km steep climb from Shingarh to the Shrikhand peak that has a 72-foot-high Shivlingam. It begins from a Kullu village and ascends through base camps at Singhgad, Thachdu, Bheem Dwar, and Parvati Bagh. According to the district administration, a joint team of experts from Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) Manali, the revenue department and the forest department conducted a detailed inspection of the pilgrimage route. In its report submitted on June 8, 2026, the team declared the stretch between Bhimdwari and Parvati Bagh to be highly dangerous and unsafe, recommending that it should not be used for the pilgrimage. The administration subsequently examined the feasibility of an alternative route. However, a report submitted on June 18 found that both the existing and the proposed routes pass through steep slopes, loose and unstable soil, narrow and slippery trails, and several streams. Experts warned of a high risk of landslides, rockfalls, flash floods and debris flow, making it unsafe to conduct the pilgrimage. The joint inspection team concluded that organising the Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra under the current conditions would not be appropriate. It noted that carrying out rescue and relief operations between Bhimdwari and Parvati Bagh would be extremely difficult in the event of an emergency. Kullu superintendent of police, Nirmand sub-divisional magistrate and the divisional forest officer, Luhri forest division, have been directed to ensure that no person enters the restricted pilgrimage route and that order is strictly enforced. Citing similar reasons, the Kinnaur administration has suspended Kinnaur Kailash Yatra until further orders. The administration said a special reconnaissance team was constituted to assess the safety and feasibility of the pilgrimage route. The assessment report highlighted certain extremely sensitive and alarming conditions on the pilgrimage route including the risk of glaciers and rockfall and unstable boulders....