Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage Resumes After Suspension due to Inclement Weather

SRINAGAR: Registration for the pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi resumed on Thursday morning after being halted on Wednesday evening due to bad weather, officials said, as reported by Daily Excelsior.

The yatra had earlier restarted on Wednesday following a 22-day suspension caused by a landslide and heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. However, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) temporarily stopped the movement of pilgrims later in the day as weather conditions deteriorated.

With conditions improving, authorities allowed the pilgrimage to recommence on Thursday. Officials confirmed that the yatra was progressing smoothly and urged devotees using the helicopter service to book tickets in advance.

On Wednesday, more than 2,500 pilgrims were able to visit the shrine atop the Trikuta hills before the suspension was reimposed. Hundreds of devotees, many of whom had been camping at Katra — the base camp — welcomed the decision to restart registration.

“We are happy the yatra has begun again after such a long suspension. We had wished to pay obeisance earlier but could not due to the situation here,” said Tribhavan Deka, a pilgrim from Assam who arrived with a seven-member group.

Savitri Devi, from Uttarakhand, who is travelling with 11 family members, described their visit as the “call of Mata”, saying they had been trying to come for years.

The SMVDSB has reiterated that the yatra will remain subject to favourable weather conditions.