Authorities at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine announced the suspension of the Yatra to the cave shrine atop the Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district due to bad weather, officials said.
The Yatra has been suspended due to an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for October 5 to 7.
More than 1.70 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the Vaishno Devi temple during Navratri, with the Yatra going on smoothly, officials said.
In a post on X, the shrine board said: “In view of an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department, the Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from October 5 to 7.”
The Yatra will resume on October 8, it said, advising devotees to stay updated through official communication channels.
The shrine board has taken precautionary steps in view of the threat of landslides, flooding, and cloudbursts due to heavy rain.
The pilgrimage had only resumed on September 17 after remaining suspended for 22 days due to a devastating landslide along the track on August 26, caused by incessant rainfall, which killed 34 people and injured 20 others.
The incident triggered massive backlash over what reports claimed was caused by the negligence of the shrine board. While the board has denied the allegations, the probe committee constituted by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is yet to release the official report on the incident.
Also Read: First-ever automobile freight train arrives in Kashmir
Follow us
