Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi Resumes After Three-Day Suspension

October 8, 2025

Jammu and Kashmir: The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district resumed on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) morning after being suspended for three days due to adverse weather conditions, officials said.

Traffic on the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was partially allowed after a day-long suspension, while all government and private schools in Jammu and surrounding areas reopened after a two-day closure, the officials added.

Yatra Progressing Smoothly

A spokesperson for the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said the pilgrimage restarted with the opening of all registration counters around 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

The yatra is progressing smoothly, with hundreds of devotees departing from the base camp in Katra for the shrine.

Suspension Amid Weather Conditions

The pilgrimage, along with the Machail Mata Yatra in Kishtwar district, had been suspended from October 5 to 7 following predictions of widespread rainfall in the plains and snowfall in high-altitude areas. Machail Mata Yatra also resumed on Wednesday with improvement in overall weather conditions, officials said.

After being closed for a day due to multiple landslides, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway resumed on Wednesday morning.

“Jammu-Srinagar National Highway [NH-44] has not been fully restored. The road is in poor condition at Tharad [Udhampur], Nashri-Dalwas and between Marog and Kishtwari Pather [Ramban], therefore only one-way traffic of Light Motor Vehicles was allowed from Srinagar towards Jammu this morning,” a traffic department official said.

Alternative Routes

The Mughal Road, connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, has been cleared of snow at Peer Ki Gali and is open for light motor vehicles from both sides.

However, traffic on the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road, another alternative link between Jammu and Srinagar, remains closed due to snow accumulation at Sinthan Top, the official added.