New Year brings changes to Vaishno Devi Yatra rules: Know what's new

If you are also planning to visit the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, know these rules before your journey.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has issued important directives for devotees visiting Mata Vaishno Devi, which have been implemented with immediate effect. Under the new rules, it will now be mandatory for every devotee to obtain an RFID travel card along with their travel registration.

Travel Must Be Completed Within 24 Hours

According to the Shrine Board, devotees must start their journey within 12 hours of receiving the RFID travel card, and it is mandatory to complete the journey and return to the base camp Katra within 24 hours. Earlier, the validity of the RFID card was limited only to the commencement of the journey, but now a time limit for completing the journey for the first time has also been set, which will further improve crowd management.

Decision Taken in View of Heavy Crowds

The Shrine Board administration stated that the number of devotees is increasing rapidly in anticipation of the New Year. Every year, heavy crowds gather in Katra and the Bhawan area three to four days before the New Year. In such a situation, this decision has been taken to ensure the safety of the devotees and to avoid situations like excessive crowding and stampedes.

New Rules Applicable to All Modes of Travel

The Shrine Board has instructed the officials and staff deployed at the travel registration centers to continuously inform the devotees about the new rules. These orders will apply equally to devotees traveling by all means, including on foot, by helicopter, battery car, horse, and Pithu (porter).

RFID Travel Card Available Until 12 AM

Keeping in mind the convenience of the devotees, the RFID card will now be available at the travel registration center located near Katra railway station until 12 AM. Earlier, this facility was limited to 10 PM. Meanwhile, passengers arriving by late-night trains can obtain a 24-hour RFID card from the Darshan Deodi entrance gate.

Security Arrangements Also Tightened

On Tuesday, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board held an important meeting with officials to review travel management and security arrangements. In the meeting, the CEO of the board emphasized the strict implementation of the RFID-based access control system, ensuring that only devotees with valid RFID cards are allowed to proceed.

High-Tech Surveillance System

Security agencies present at the meeting provided information about the multi-tier security grid, which includes police, CRPF, and Shrine Board security teams. Along with these, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and advanced surveillance tools for real-time monitoring have also been deployed.