Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage Halted: 40,000+ Devotees Overwhelm Shrine on New Year

• Vaishno Devi pilgrimage was halted due to an overwhelming influx of over 40,000 devotees on New Year's.
• Pilgrims were stopped in Katra as the crowd near Mata's Bhawan became unmanageable.
• The Shrine Board welcomed devotees on 'X', noting the visible devotion at Bhawan and Ardhkuwari.
• Annual pilgrimage numbers for the current year are below 7 million, a 27% decline from last year's 9.484 million.
• The decline is attributed to security incidents and prolonged bad weather, with hopes for an increase in 2026.

Why It Matters: New Year's rush at Vaishno Devi led to pilgrimage halt, highlighting crowd management challenges.