E-Paper
Vaishno Devi Yatra suspended from October 5 to 7 amid bad weather forecast
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine only after getting updates from official channels.
The Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has been suspended from Sunday, October 5, due to apprehensions about the weather near the cave shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district
The authorities have cited an inclement weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the suspension of the yatra. The suspension will run until Tuesday, October 7.
The Vaishno Devi Yatra is scheduled to begin again on Wednesday, October 8, depending on weather conditions. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) posted the information on the social media platform X.
“Yatra Update. In view of the inclement weather advisory issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, Vaishno Devi Yatra shall remain suspended from 5th to 7th October 2025 & will resume on 08/10/2025. Devotees may stay updated through official channels. @OfficeOfLGJandK,” the post by the board read.
The authorities have asked the devotees to plan their travel only after getting updates from official channels. The Shrine Board has taken the step as a precautionary measure in view of the threat perception of landslides, flooding, and cloudbursts due to heavy rain.
Earlier suspensions of the yatra
The Yatra has been suspended many times this year due to rain, flash floods, and landslides. It recently resumed on September 17 after a 22-day hiatus due to a landslide near Ardhkuwari that claimed 34 lives and injured 20 others in the August 26 tragedy. The decision to resume the yatra at that time came two days after a group of pilgrims staged a protest at Katra base camp in support of their demand for the resumption of the pilgrimage.
Officials quoted in the PTI report said that after the yatra resumption last month, more than 1.70 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at the Vaishno Devi temple during Navratri, and the Yatra went on smoothly.
