Amid chants of `Jai Mata Di`, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills resumed in Jammu and Kashmir`s Reasi district on Wednesday, after a suspension of 22 days due to a devastating landslide that claimed 34 lives and injured 20, officials said. The Shrine Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) announced the reopening of the yatra subject to favourable weather conditions from this morning, bringing cheers on the faces of many devotees who were camping in Katra town -- the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine.

Hundreds of pilgrims gathered at Banganga Darshani gate, the starting point of the yatra, in the early hours of the day, expressing immense happiness and relief on the commencement of the pilgrimage. Shrine board officials said the yatra began at 6 am from both the routes leading to the hilltop shrine after a temporary suspension necessitated by inclement weather conditions and essential maintenance of the track leading to the shrine.