Jammu, Feb. 2 -- High altitude areas of Jammu province, including the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi atop the Trikuta hills in Reasi district, received fresh snowfall on Thursday morning.

Officials said moderate to light rains also lashed the plains of the Jammu region.

"Fresh snowfall was witnessed in and around the Bhawan of Mata Vaishnodevi. The Trikuta hills area was covered with a blanket of snow this morning," they said.

Bhairon Ghati and Himkoti in Trikuta hills and the serpentine route leading to the shrine also experienced snowfall, they said.

Despite the snowfall, the pilgrimage to the temple remained unaffected, with hundreds of pilgrims departing from the Katra base camp this morning.

Apart from Vaishno Devi, the mounta...