Even as the authorities have managed to restore the pilgrim influx in recent months, the footfall at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir fell below the 70-lakh mark in 2025, marking a significant decline on account of a series of security-related incidents and prolonged weather disruptions affected the annual pilgrimage.
According to officials, a total of 68.85 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine till December 28 this year, with around 70,000 more expected to visit in the remaining days of 2025, given the heavy influx of pilgrims in view of the New Year.Compared to last year when annual footfall had crossed the 94.84-lakh mark, the over 27.4 per cent drop underscores the cumulative effect of security concerns and natural disruptions on religious tourism in the region, they said. The year saw multiple setbacks, with the Pahalgam terror attack in April that left 26 persons dead and prompted heightened security measures across the region.
This was followed by a major counter-terror operation, Operation Sindoor, next month when the Indian armed forces hit terror infrastructure in Pakistan, leading to tensions on the border.Adding to the challenges, a landslide triggered by incessant rain along the yatra track near Katra on August 26 resulted in the death of 35 pilgrims and caused damage to a critical stretch, forcing authorities to halt the pilgrimage for three weeks in August-September. Officials said the prolonged closure during what is traditionally considered a high-footfall period had a direct impact on the overall pilgrim footfall for the year.
“Safety of pilgrims remains the top priority. Decisions to suspend the yatra were taken based on real-time assessments of weather and track conditions,” a shrine board official said.Despite the challenges, he said the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board continued infrastructure upgrades, including track maintenance, disaster preparedness measures and enhanced surveillance.
The yatra was resumed after restoration work and safety audits, with additional deployment of security forces and continuous monitoring of weather advisories, he added.According to official data, the highest footfall was recorded in April when 9,81,228 pilgrims visited the shrine, while the lowest, 1,85,165 devotees payed obeisance at the shrine in September when the Jammu region witnessed record rainfall and flood-like conditions.
March recorded the second highest pilgrim turnout of 9,40,143 followed by June (9,26,263), July (6,77,652), January (5,69,164), August (5,33,756), November (4,23,553), May (4,13,365), October (3,84,952) and February (3,78,865). As many as 4,71,396 pilgrims visited the shrine in December till now.
Meanwhile ,as the New Year is expected to witness a heavy rush of pilgrims at the Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine, the Railway Department has introduced a special train service between Katra and New Delhi from December 27 to January 2 to facilitate smooth travel for devotees. Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, said that the division operates special trains from time to time for the convenience of passengers. "This enables the Railways to provide better facilities and ensure smoother journeys during periods of heavy rush and effective crowd management," he said.
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