-1756451340637.webp)
- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Vaishno Devi Landslide: The tragedy on the Vaishno Devi Yatra route, which resulted in the death of 34 pilgrims, has put the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) in a tough spot. Questions have been raised on the Shrine Board about why the pilgrimage was not suspended despite severe weather warnings. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also raised questions and asked why pilgrims were not shifted to safer locations despite warnings for the past few days.
A massive landslide hit the route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop the Trikuta hill on Tuesday afternoon, killing 34 people and injuring 20 others. The landslide struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra to the hilltop shrine. While the yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since morning, it was going on on the old route till 1:30 pm when authorities decided to suspend it till further orders in view of the torrential rain.
However, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has refuted the allegations of allowing the yatra to proceed despite weather warnings, and said that the pilgrimage had stopped around noon on August 26 ahead of the cloudburst that triggered a landslide.
"A few media reports have been circulating since yesterday alleging that the yatra was allowed to proceed in complete disregard of weather advisories and at the expense of pilgrim safety. The Board expresses deep sorrow and pain at the unfortunate loss of pilgrims' lives in the natural disaster on August 26, and places on record the correct factual position to dispel the impression being created by the insinuating media reports. The Board categorically denies the allegations as false and baseless," the Shrine board said in a statement.
The board said that the weather conditions had remained clear and conducive for pilgrimage on the morning of August 26 until around 10 am, during which time the yatra proceeded normally.
"As soon as the forecast for moderate rains was received, registrations were immediately suspended. The majority of the yatris were moving down the track after completing darshan at the Holy Cave Shrine. Thousands of yatris en route had smoothly completed their pilgrimage back to Katra by then," it said.
The statement further mentioned that many pilgrims stayed on in the shelter sheds en route at designated halt points on the old track. "These are those points and stretches which have never been susceptible to landslides in the past. These halt points have been specifically created in the safest zones of the track, for pilgrim safety."
Omar Abdullah Questions Why the Pilgrimage Was Not Stopped
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who visited the flood-hit areas in Jammu on Thursday, questioned the board's decision to allow the pilgrimage to continue despite warnings of heavy downpour.
"We will have to talk about it later. When we knew about the weather, should we not have taken certain steps to save those lives?. The weather warning had come to us a few days ago," CM Abdullah said.
"Why were these people on the track? Why were they not stopped? Why were they not moved to a safe place?" Abdullah asked. "This has to be discussed later. We feel sorrow over the loss of 29 to 30 precious lives," he added.