Vaishno Devi Yatra resumes after brief halt, registration starts

Registration for the pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi resumed on Thursday morning after authorities decided to give a go ahead for the yatra that was briefly suspended due to inclement weather.

After a 22-day suspension due to a landslide and heavy rainfall, the pilgrimage to the shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district resumed on Wednesday. However, it was halted on Wednesday evening due to inclement weather.

With the weather improving, the yatra resumed this morning. Officials said the yatra was progressing smoothly, they said.

The Shrine Board has made announcements asking pilgrims wanting to use heliservice to book tickets for choppers.

Devotees thronging Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi temple, said they were happy that the yatra has resumed.

"We are happy that the yatra has begun after a long suspension. We had wished to pay obeisance at the lotus feet of Mata, but the situation here prevented us for over a fortnight due to the suspension. Now as registration has begun again, we are confident of having her darshan and seeking blessings,” Tribhavan Deka, a pilgrim from Assam said.

Deka, who is on a pilgrimage to the shrine with a seven-member group, said, "We pray to Mata to keep the yatra safe and sound for all her devotees."

Like him, Savitri Devi of Uttarakhand, who has arrived in Katra along with 11 members, said, "It was the call of Mata for all of us to be here. For years, we were trying to pay obeisance here, but failed to do so. See, when the situation is bad due to heavy rains, we are here – it is her directive."

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) announced the reopening of the yatra subject to favourable weather conditions from Wednesday morning, much to the relief of hundreds of devotees who were camping in Katra town — the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine.

However, the respite was short-lived, as the shrine board once again suspended the yatra amid inclement weather Wednesday evening after allowing 2,500 pilgrims during the day, the officials said.