Jammu: The pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, located atop the Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, is expected to resume next week following a fresh review of the weather advisory, officials said on Saturday.
The yatra has remained suspended for the 12th consecutive day, with the weather department predicting moderate rain or thundershowers in parts of the Jammu division during the night and early morning of September 7 and 8.
“A decision on resuming the pilgrimage will be taken next week. The track has been cleared of debris and is undergoing repairs after the damage caused by landslides triggered by heavy rains,” an official of the shrine board stated.
The suspension was imposed just hours before a landslide on the old track at Adhkuwari on August 26, which claimed 34 lives and left 20 others injured.
This marks the longest suspension of the yatra since the COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities prioritising the safety of pilgrims while carrying out restoration work on the damaged track and nearby commercial structures in Katra.
