Jammu, Oct 4: The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and Machail Mata pilgrimages have been suspended from October 5 to 7 following a weather advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), officials said on Saturday.
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board announced on X that the yatra would resume on October 8, urging devotees to stay updated through official channels. The decision comes amid forecasts of heavy rain and possible landslides in parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In Kishtwar, District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar Sharma also ordered the suspension of the Machail Mata Yatra during the same period as a precautionary measure. “No pilgrim shall be permitted to proceed towards the shrine during the said period,” he said.
Authorities have issued advisories across hilly districts, including Doda, asking residents to avoid riverbanks and landslide-prone areas. Doda Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh said pregnant women and critically ill patients should be moved to safer locations in advance.
The Vaishno Devi Yatra was earlier suspended on August 26 after a landslide at Adhkuwari killed 34 pilgrims. In a separate incident, 65 pilgrims lost their lives during a cloudburst near Machail Mata on August 14.
Rescue teams, snow-clearance, and road-safety units have been deployed to ensure preparedness amid the IMD’s three-day rainfall and snowfall forecast.
