India, Sept. 13 -- In a much-anticipated announcement for millions of devotees, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDB) has announced the resumption of the sacred pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine starting Sunday, September 14, following a 19-day halt triggered by a deadly landslide and relentless monsoon rains.
The yatra was suspended following a landslide on August 26 that claimed 34 lives and left 20 others injured.
The decision comes just 10 days before the nine-day Navratri festival begins on September 22, a period when the shrine typically sees a surge in pilgrims seeking the blessings of Goddess
Vaishno Devi.
The yatra attracts over 90 lakh visitors annually to the cave shrine atop the Trikuta Hills in the Reasi ...