Watch: Vaishno Devi Yatra resumes after 5 months, 2,000 to be allowed every day

Vaishno Devi Yatra resumed on Sunday morning at around 7 am. The yatra resumed after a gap of nearly five months. The pilgrimage was suspended on March 18 due to the raging Covid-19 pandemic. Vaishno Devi Yatra is one of the holiest pilgrimages in Hinduism. Safety measures have been put in place by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. The safety measures include online registration and social distancing. During the first week of pilgrimage, the Board has fixed a ceiling of 2,000 pilgrims a day - 1,900 from within Jammu and Kashmir and 100 from outside the Union Territory. The pilgrims are required to install the Aarogya Setu App on their mobile phones. It is mandatory for pilgrims to wear face masks. Kids below 10 years, pregnant women and people above 60 years have been advised to avoid the yatra. Persons with co-morbidities have also been suggested to avoid the pilgrimage. Later as and when the situation normalises, advisory for this group shall be revisited, the Board said. Covid test reports of pilgrims are being checked at helipad and yatra entry points. Before resumption of the pilgrimage, a massive sanitisation drive was launched by the shrine board from Katra to Bhawan.