The annual pilgrimage to Amarnath, which was held up due to bad weather, began on Sunday with nearly 13,000 devotees heading for the cave shrine where the ice 'lingam' of Lord Shiva [Images] completely melted due to rising temperatures.

The yatra, which is expected to last for two months, got off in the wee hours from Baltal and Pahalgam with a let-up in the weather but no pilgrim was allowed to proceed from Jammu-base camp as a precautionary measure, Shree Amarnathji Shrine Board officials said.

Amid the chanting of Vedic hymns, pilgrims made their way to the Himalayan cave shrine in Anantnag district of Kashmir but their enthusiasm was not affected by the news that the naturally formed ice lingam representing Lord Shiva had melted.

The Shivlingam in the 200-cubic metre cave was around 12 feet high on June 9 but had gradually thawed due to the warm weather.

The ice Shiv lingam has melted down owing to the rise in temperature, Kumar, who accompanied Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to the cave on Sunday, told PTI.

"It is a normal phenomenon. Weather affects the shape and size of the ice Shiv lingam," he said. However, Kumar said two other ice lingams, representing Ganesh and Parvati, have not melted, though their size has reduced.

Board officials expected over four lakh devotees to visit the shrine this year despite the lingam not withstanding the weather.

Around 7,500 pilgrims left Nunwan base camp via Pahalgam, another 5,219 left Baltal while 300 devotees were expected to pay obeisance at the shrine by helicopter service during the day, SASB officials said.

Pilgrims who had reached at the base camps at Nunwan and Baltal were not allowed to proceed ahead on Saturday due to inclement weather.

'Ponywallas' were not allowed to carry pilgrims on the 14-km Baltal route as the stretch between Railpathri and Brarimarg was not fit enough, sources said adding work was on to improve the track.

There was no such problem on the traditional 46-km Pahalgam route, they said.

Jammu and Kashmir [Images] Governor S K Sinha, who heads the Board also visited the cave and later flew to Charar-e-Sharif to offer prayers and a 'chader' at the holy shrine of Sufi saint Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani.

Incessant rains lashed Kashmir valley over the past two days leaving the two tracks slippery and dangerous, and forcing authorities to defer the yatra by a day.

Although the yatra was scheduled to officially commence yesterday, hundreds of devotees have visited the cave over the past fortnight.