Vaishno Devi yatra resumes, 2,500 turn up on first day

Nearly 2,500 pilgrims visited Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Wednesday as the pilgrimage resumed 22 days after a major landslide near the temple on August 26 left 34 persons dead.

The pilgrimage was, however, again suspended in the evening due to heavy rain. Announcements were also made at Katra base camp that the yatra would resume on Thursday only if weather conditions remained favourable.

The yatra was thrown open at 6 am and until 6 pm, only 2,500 pilgrims, compared to a daily average of more than 10,000, had undertaken the 13-km trek to the cave shrine, said an official of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB). Amid chants of ‘Jai Mata Di’, hundreds gathered at Banganga Darshani gate (starting point of the yatra) in the morning, expressing happiness and relief on the commencement of the pilgrimage.

Anticipating the yatra to resume earlier, several pilgrims had reached Katra from various parts of the country a few days ago. Sunil Kumar, a trader from Delhi, said he had been planning the visit for over a month. “After delaying my journey due to reports of landslides, I reached Katra on September 14, the day the yatra was first scheduled to resume. But it was again postponed due to bad weather,” he said.

The yatra was allowed from both old and new routes and it was ensured that the pilgrims carried their radio frequency identity cards. With the path now declared safe, the pilgrimage is expected to see a large number of devotees in the coming days, especially during the Navratri festival from September 22 till October 1.