Suspended For Nearly Five Months Due To Covid-19, Matra Vaishno Devi Yatra To Resume From Tomorrow With Restrictions

In a major event for the Hindu devotees, pilgrimage to the holy temple of Mata Vaishno Devi situated in Trikoota hills near Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)'s Katra is set to resume from tomorrow (16 August), reports Indian Express.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine board has decided to allow a maximum of 2,000 pilgrims to visit the temple daily during the first week, of whom only 100 people from outside the Union Territory (UT) will be allowed to visit the shrine. The situation will then be reviewed a week later, and a further decision will be taken accordingly.

The pilgrimage to the shrine has been suspended since 18 March in the wake of challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic.

The pilgrims will have to first register themselves online, and they will also be required to install the Aarogya Setu application on their smartphones. It will also be mandatory for the pilgrims to wear a face mask at all times. All the pilgrims visiting the Shrine will also have to pass through thermal image scanners at the entry points.

Meanwhile, it should be noted that children below the age of 10 years, pregnant women, persons with co-morbidities and those above the age of 60 years have been advised to avoid the yatra.