E-Paper
Covid-19 protocols relaxed, 15,000 pilgrims can now visit Vaishno Devi Temple every day
As per the latest standard operating procedure issued by the administration on October 30, all the other ‘Unlock’ instructions shall remain in place till November 30.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration last week gave green signal to increase the number of people permitted to visit the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi from 7,000 to 15,000, starting November 1. Additionally, the requirement for travellers to home quarantine themselves for 14 days has also been removed.
As per the latest standard operating procedure issued by the administration on October 30, all the other ‘Unlock’ instructions shall remain in place till November 30.
The Vaishno Devi shrine located atop the Trikuta hills in Reasi district was reopened for the devotees after a five-month gap in August. It was shut for five months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The shrine was reopened on August 16 with an initial cap of 2,000 pilgrims permitted in the premises per day, including 100 from outside Jammu and Kashmir as per the SOPs.
The registration of devotees for the pilgrimage is still allowed only through online mode to avoid mass gathering of people at the yatra registration counters which could lead to the spread of the deadly Sars-Cov-2 virus that causes Covid-19. The disease was declared a global pandemic in March by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
For the ease of the devotees, accommodation facilities at the Bhawan, Katra, Ardhkuwari and Jammu are available. These facilities follow all the SOPs prescribed for Covid-19.
Other facilities like battery-powered vehicles, helicopter services and passenger ropeway have also been set up by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board for the convenience of devotees during the yatra (pilgrimage). However, they have to follow all the Covid-19 guidelines and social distancing norms.
