Amid an unprecedented surge in devotees during the New Year period, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has revised the yatra guidelines, tightening rules for both the ascent and descent.
The changes are aimed at preventing overcrowding near the Bhawan, reducing the risk of accidents, and ensuring smoother crowd management and emergency response along the track.
New Time Restrictions For Devotees
Under the revised rules, devotees must begin their yatra within 10 hours of obtaining the RFID travel card. After completing darshan, they must return to the Katra base camp within 24 hours. These guidelines have taken effect immediately.
Earlier, there was no strict time limit for starting the journey after receiving the RFID card. Devotees could begin their yatra at any time, and
there were no restrictions on how long they could stay after darshan.
Many pilgrims stayed in the Bhawan area for several days, which often led to overcrowding and congestion on the track.
Yatra Duration And Travel Options
The journey from Katra to Bhawan is approximately 13 km and can be undertaken on foot, by horse, pitthu, battery car, or helicopter.
- On foot: 6 to 8 hours uphill and a similar duration downhill
- Round trip (overall): 12 to 24 hours
- By helicopter: 4 to 6 hours
- Waiting time for darshan: 2 to 6 hours, longer during peak crowds
Under normal conditions, the entire pilgrimage takes 24 to 36 hours, but during the New Year rush, it can extend up to 48 hours.
How To Reach Mata Vaishno Devi Dham
- By Train: Jammu Tawi railway station, well connected across India; from there, Katra is about 50 km away (around 1.5 hours by bus or taxi).
- By Air: Jammu airport (70 km from Katra) or Srinagar airport (200 km).
- By Road: Regular bus and private vehicle services operate from Jammu and Pathankot to Katra.
After reaching Katra, devotees can undertake the journey to Bhawan by foot, battery-operated vehicles, horse or pitthu services, or helicopter. Helicopter services operate from Sanasar to Bhawan, with fares ranging between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000.
Mandatory Registration
Online registration is compulsory and must be completed through the Shrine Board’s official website. To assist pilgrims, the registration centre at Katra railway station has been kept open until midnight.
Benefits Of The New Rule
The Shrine Board stated that the new regulation will make the yatra safer and more organised. It will reduce congestion on the track, enable quicker rescue during emergencies such as illness or bad weather, and lower the risk of cold-related health issues due to prolonged stays.
The rule is expected to be especially beneficial for women, children, and elderly devotees. Shorter stays will also help speed up darshan and reduce waiting times. The board clarified that the objective of the new rule is not to inconvenience devotees, but to ensure smooth crowd management and safe darshan during the New Year rush.
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