Vaishno Devi

Katra -- the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu and Kashmir -- resumed normal business activity on Wednesday after a week-long shutdown protesting a proposed ropeway project in the Trikuta hills of Reasi district. Eighteen people detained by police during the protests were also released, sparking overnight celebrations in the holy town. "All shops, restaurants, and business establishments reopened after a week-long closure due to the shutdown, while traffic movement was also restored, bringing much relief to the pilgrims," an official said. With the return of normalcy, hundreds of pilgrims thronged the holy town on the first day of the year to pay obeisance at the cave shrine, with long serpentine queues seen at the entry points in Katra and Bhawan. "We are very happy that the bandh has ended. It was causing huge inconvenience to us. We have come here to pay obeisance on the first day of the new year," Suresh Kadam, a resident of Pune, said. The

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday formed a four-member committee to hold talks with those protesting against the Katra ropeway project and announced that it has decided to release all those detained during protests. Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar told reporters that the decisions were taken after holding detailed discussions with members of the civil society. "After the discussions, it was decided that all those detained will be released and the market will be reopened," he said. "Secondly, the work on the ropeway will remain suspended until the committee completes its discussions," he said. "A four-member committee has been formed by the lieutenant governor," Kumar said. Kumar and the CEO of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board are among the members of the committee. The divisional commissioner, flanked by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti leaders, said all issues will be discussed during the committee's meetings. "The shops will be reopened tonigh

Efforts are underway to provide more facilities for the devotees and that the footfall in Katra will increase with the improvement in connectivity

Authorities detained protestors for opposing the Rs 250 crore ropeway project in Katra, triggering hunger strikes

The health department officials conducted a full medical check-up of the youths continuing their hunger strike to press for the release of several persons detained during protests in Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi, with the holy town observing a shutdown for the seventh day on Tuesday against the proposed ropeway project in Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti called for the shutdown on Wednesday, announcing that all activities in Katra would remain suspended. All shops, restaurants and business establishments remained closed for the seventh day on Tuesday and traffic stayed off the roads in the holy town following the Samiti's call for protest. The shutdown has disrupted normal life in one of the busiest towns in the country, as thousands of pilgrims arrive daily to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. Eight youths are on a hunger strike, demanding the release of 18 members of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh

A 72-hour shutdown by pony wallas, shopkeepers, and other proprietors will begin on Wednesday to protest against a proposed ropeway project in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Sangarsh Samiti announced the strike Tuesday, stating that all activities in Katra would remain suspended during the bandh. "We have announced a 72-hour bandh in Katra starting tomorrow against the ropeway project. We seek the support of all residents of Katra to make the strike successful," a Samiti spokesperson said. He said the administration had initially promised to hold a meeting on December 23 but postponed it to 3 pm today. "We met the Deputy Commissioner today. They sought more time to discuss the issue with higher authorities. Therefore, we have decided to proceed with the strike," he said. Last month, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board decided to install the ropeway to facilitate access to the temple for senior citizens, childr

Kashmir is likely to be connected to the rest of the country through rail next month as the work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) has been completed, a senior Railway official said here on Tuesday. The Northern Railway General Manager Ashok Verma told reporters here that the work on the final tunnel located in the Reasi area will be completed within a week. "The project will be completed very soon. We are hopeful of the connectivity in January. Then all trains including Vande Bharat will run and a timetable will be framed for all the trains. We hope to start this project in January," Verma said. He said the completion of the project would make a huge difference and "there will be a total change in the situation in Kashmir". Verma said the work on the tunnel at Reasi, which was previously called as T-1 but is now known as T-33, is in its final stages and would be completed within a week. "Track-laying work has been completed, and electrical work is currently ...

Two representatives of labourers and shopkeepers in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district were on Wednesday detained after fresh protests at the Katra base camp against a proposed ropeway project along the trek route to the Vaishno Devi shrine. According to police, an FIR was registered against eight people on Tuesday, a day after violent protests in Katra in which a policeman got injured. Protestors, led by Bhupinder Singh and Sohan Chand, took out a rally against the proposed ropeway project. However, officials said the police stopped the protestors from moving ahead, resulting in clashes between them. Singh and Chand were detained and taken away from the spot in a police vehicle, they said, adding that the protestors were also dispersed from the scene. Udhampur DIG (Reasi range) Rayees Bhat said the detainees were not arrested. The demonstration was triggered following the registration of an FIR in the Monday clash. According to the FIR, a police team was performing law and orde

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Assembly constituency falls in the Reasi district of Jammu division. It had entered into the poll in the second phase of the Assembly elections on September 25

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the installation of nine cloud-enabled health ATMs along the pilgrimage track in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Saturday. The shrine board inked the pact with Hewlett Packard Enterprise for health ATMs and one Telemedicine Studio at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine, the official said. He said the move is part of the board's commitment to providing good and easily accessible health care services to the pilgrims. This initiative is being undertaken by the Shrine Board as per the directions of (Lt Governor) Manoj Sinha who is also its chairman, in collaboration with HPE as part of its CSR to enhance Health Care accessibility for the pilgrims, stakeholders, besides, local inhabitants on the yatra track round the clock, the official said. In addition, he said the installation of one telemedicine Studio at Katra shall bridge the gap and ...

Dunki release date: Shahrukh Khan's third movie of 2023 is set to release in theatres on December 21

As the Navratri season is about to begin, IRCTC has launched a two-day trip to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. Here's everything you need to know about the tour package of Mata Vaishnodevi by Vande Bharat

A brief video on social media shows the actor at the shrine, accompanied by officials of the Vaishno Devi shrine board, policemen, and personal staff

The new track to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine has been closed for pilgrims in view of landslide threat as Katra town in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district received the heaviest rainfall in past 43 years. Chopper service to the shrine has also been suspended because of inclement weather. However, pilgrims can reach the shrine atop Trikuta Hills will continue on the old track, officials said on Wednesday. "Yatra has been suspended on the new track due to the threat of landslides. However, the yatra is going on the old track," Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), Anshul Garg told PTI. Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, received 315.4 mm of rain in 24 hours. "This is the heaviest rainfall since 1980. On July 31, 2019, Katra received 292.4 mm of rain," an official of the weather department said.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has secured a hat-trick of winning the first prize in the 'National Water Awards' for the promotion of water conservation and proper management of water, officials said. The shrine board bagged the 'Best Institution for Campus Usage' award in the fourth National Water Awards, they said. An official said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar conferred the National Water Awards 2023 during a ceremony organised at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Jal Shakti Ministry. A total of 41 winners, including the Vaishno Devi shrine board, were selected for the awards under 11 categories. The National Water Awards were instituted to recognise and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by states, districts, individuals and organisations across the country in attaining the vision of 'Jal Samridh Bharat'. The award was received by the shrine board's Chief Executive

Ten Vaishno Devi pilgrims, most of them from Bihar, were killed and 57 injured on Tuesday as the bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and rammed into the railing of a bridge before falling off it, officials said. The death toll may go up as Government Medical College Hospital Principal Shashi Soodan said two of the injured admitted there are critical. The officials said the bus, which was on its way to Katra from Amritsar, met with the accident in Jhajjar Kotli area on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway between 6.30 and 7 am. Katra is a base camp for the pilgrims visiting the famous shrine atop the Trikuta hills. They said most of the travellers were members of an extended family from Bihar's Lakhisarai and were on pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi temple for a ritual of a child. "The accident took place at Jhajjar Kotli bridge. Ten people have died. Rescue operation is almost complete," Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kohli told PTI. "We are investigating the .

More than 33 lakh pilgrims have visited the famous Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district so far this year, marking an increase of nearly four lakhs in the footfall compared to the same period last year, officials said. Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Anshul Garg said various efforts are on to improve the facilities for the pilgrims to ensure that they do not face any inconvenience. "Over 33 lakh pilgrims performed the yatra from January 1 to May 15 this year, which is much higher than the same period last year. The board is making continuous efforts to improve facilities and ensure that the visiting pilgrims do not face any inconvenience," Garg said. The officials said nearly 29 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine in the first four and a half months last year with overall annual figures in 2022 touching a total of 91.24 lakh which was the highest in the past nine years. This year, they said April recorded the highest footfall of

Till the beginning of 2023, Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir was known only for the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine situated on the Trikuta Hills, where millions of devotees pay obeisance each year

Over 91 lakh pilgrims visited the famous Mata Vaishno Devi temple in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, the highest in the last nine years, a senior official of the shrine board said on Sunday. Over 23,000 devotees offered prayers at the shrine located atop Trikuta hills on New Year's Eve. In a tweet, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board CEO Anshul Garg said, "91.25 lakh devotees paid obeisance at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in 2022, the highest number since the start of Online Individual Yatri registration in 2013. May Mata Rani continue to shower blessings of peace, happiness and prosperity upon all of us." According to shrine board data, 23,110 pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine on the last day of 2022. In 2022, the highest footfall was recorded in June with more than 11.29 lakh pilgrims visiting the temple. At 3.61 lakh, February saw the lowest footfall last year. In December, 5.67 lakh devotees visited the shrine. Despite a stampede at the shrine on January 1

Live news updates: Sisodia termed the Excise Policy 2021-22 as the "best policy", and said there was "no wrongdoing" in its implementation