The pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi was postponed for 18 days. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board stated that the yatra will resume from September 14, weather permitting. The postponement was due to a landslide incident in the Trikuta hills on August 26.
Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra Resumed: The pilgrimage to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi will recommence from September 14 (Sunday). The yatra to the temple, located in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, had been suspended for 18 days following landslides and cloudbursts in the Trikuta hills on August 26. The Shrine Board has indicated that the yatra will only proceed once weather conditions are favorable and the track is deemed safe. This pilgrimage typically attracts thousands of devotees who arrive for darshan and to offer their devotion.
Pooja Continues at the Temple, Path Repaired
Despite the landslides, the faith of devotees at the Vaishno Devi temple remains unwavering. The repair work on the path leading to the cave temple is largely complete. Jammu and Kashmir has experienced heavy rainfall and natural calamities in recent weeks, which have caused damage to numerous homes and resulted in loss of life.
The Vaishno Devi yatra was temporarily halted, leaving the Katra base camp deserted. Nevertheless, some devotees continued to perform their rituals and offer prayers at the 'Darshani Deodhi' according to their faith. Even with the yatra suspended, the temple remained open for regular darshan, and the priests maintained a spiritual atmosphere by conducting daily prayers and rituals for the devotees.
Schools and Highway Reopened
Schools in the Jammu division reopened on Wednesday, September 10. The schools had been closed for the past fifteen days due to heavy rains, floods, and landslides. Children's education has now resumed, bringing relief to parents.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was also reopened for traffic on Wednesday after being closed for nine days. This 270-kilometer highway is the only all-weather road connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country. It had initially been opened on August 30 but had to be closed again due to floods and landslides.
Approximately 12,000 kilometers of roads in Jammu and Kashmir have been damaged due to recent floods and landslides. The administration has initiated rapid repair and relief operations to expedite the return to normalcy for the public.
