Katra, October 7, 2025 – The first rays pierced the mist over Trikuta Hills around 6 AM, gilding the shrine’s steps in gold and coaxing a tentative cheer from the base camp’s poniwallas. After a three-day lockdown from October 5-7, triggered by the IMD’s rain roar, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board flung open the yatra gates at dawn today, welcoming the faithful back to the 12-km trek with a mix of fervor and flood-forged caution. By 9 AM, over 1,200 pilgrims – from Punjab’s border hamlets to Delhi’s urban throngs – had registered at the Banganga counters, their chants of “Jai Mata Di” rising like incense against the lingering drizzle. “Feels like coming home after a storm,” beamed Rajni Kaur, 52, from Amritsar, adjusting her chunri as she queued for the helicopter shuttle, her family’s first visit since August’s deadly landslide that claimed 34 souls. “The rains scared us off, but faith pulls stronger.”
The suspension, announced October 4 amid forecasts of very heavy spells in Reasi district, was a prudent pause – echoes of last month’s tragedy, when boulders buried the Adh Kunwari stretch, halting the pilgrimage for 22 days. Shrine CEO Anshul Gupta, in a 7 AM broadcast from the Bhawan, struck a balanced note: “All clear today; paths inspected, helipads dry. But stay alert – weather’s whimsical.” Teams of 200 porters and ponies, idle since Friday, sprang back, ferrying aarti thalis and water bottles up the snaking trail. The board’s X post at 6:30 AM lit up notifications: “Yatra resumes October 8? Wait, no – today, October 7! Gates open; darshan awaits.” A slip in dates? No matter; the rush was real, with online bookings spiking 40% overnight.
For Katra’s economy – tourism’s beating heart, employing 5,000 in peak season – it’s a breath of fresh air. Hotelier Vikram Saini, 48, whose 20-room lodge in Adh Kunwari sat empty, flipped his “Closed” sign by 8 AM, brewing chai for early birds. “Lost three days’ revenue, but today’s flock makes up,” he said, tallying reservations from Jammu families eyeing a quick Navratri warmup. The yatra, averaging 30,000 daily footfalls, dipped to zero mid-week, but today’s turnout – bolstered by Valmiki Jayanti’s reflective pull – hints at rebound. Pilgrims like young Arjun Mehta, 22, from Jammu’s Gandhinagar, trekked the old path, his backpack lighter without August’s fears. “Did the parikarma last year; this time, with rains fresh in mind, every step’s a prayer,” he panted midway up, pausing at a chai stall strung with marigolds.
Safety’s the new mantra. Post-August, the board ramped up: 50 new CCTV cams along the route, drone patrols over Bhairon Ghati, and mandatory weather apps for guides. “No risks; we’ve learned hard,” Gupta added in a noon huddle with SDM Reasi, where NDRF divers stood by for any Trikuta trickle. CM Omar Abdullah, touring flood-hit Ramban earlier, tweeted support: “Mata’s abode calls; tread with care, Jammu.” For locals scarred by the shrine’s shadows – porters who lost kin in the slide, shopkeepers rebuilding stalls – resumption’s restorative. “It’s not just income; it’s our identity,” reflected pony owner Gulzar Ahmed, 60, leading a group from the base, his mount sure-footed on damp stones.
As noon prayers echoed from the Bhawan, with the first darshan batch emerging tear-streaked by 11, Katra pulsed anew.