Jammu & Kashmir: Pilgrims Protest at Katra Base Camp, Leading to a Halt in the Vaishno Devi Yatra

As the Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage continues to remain suspended for 20 days, following a heavy rainfall and devastating landslides in the region, pilgrims attempted to march to the hilltop shrine of Vaishno Devi starting from the Katra base camp on Sunday, breaking the security cordon and raising slogans ‘Jai Mata Di’. 

The decision to halt the Vaishno Devi Yatra was declared on hold on August 26th, following crippling landslides in the region that claimed the lives of 34, caused injuries to 20, and left several Vaishno Devi pilgrims stranded on the yatra route to the holy shrine. Officials constantly warned pilgrims of the safety concerns due to the blocked roadways and tracks caused by persistent heavy rainfall that triggered massive landslides in the region. Furthermore, the connectivity on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was also affected due to a landslide in the region, causing safety concerns for pilgrims. 

During the J & K protests, a group of women raised the slogan ‘Jai Mata Di’ at Banganga Darshani gate, Katra, demanding the immediate resumption of the pilgrimage, and tried to offer homage to the hilltop shrine. However, their repetitive moves to break the security cordon failed due to the police force deployed at the base camp.

The Vaishno Devi Yatra reopening date, September 14th, 2025, was deferred until further orders to ensure the safety and security of the pilgrims on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine until weather conditions improve.

As the Vaishno Devi Yatra was suspended from 25th August, several pilgrims who were left stranded on its route expressed their desire for an immediate reopening of the yatra. Rajiv Lodhi, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, requested officials for hassle-free reopening of the pilgrimage, stating, “I have reached Katra walking barefoot over the past two months and I want to offer my prayers at the shrine as soon as possible."

"I came to know that the yatra was suspended again, leaving everyone present here disappointed. We know they have decided to suspend the yatra for our safety, but we cannot extend our stay for more days," said Vinod Kumar, a pilgrim from Chennai.

“We will leave only after darshan of Mata Rani”, said a resident of Bihar.

Amid pilgrims' protests at Vaishno Devi Katra, the police forces have been ensuring the safety and security of the yatris all along the Vaishno Devi track since a massive landslide hit the region on August 26th that claimed the lives of 34 pilgrims. For further progress in situation control at Katyra Base Camp and Vaishno Devi Yatra resumption updates, keep reading our latest news articles and other announcements.