SRINAGAR: The annual Shri Machail Mata Yatra 2026 has been postponed until July 27 due to adverse weather conditions, with the pilgrimage for devotees now scheduled to commence from July 28, subject to a favourable weather assessment, Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Pankaj Kumar Sharma announced on Friday.
The Deputy Commissioner said the weather situation would be reviewed before permitting the movement of pilgrims and reiterated that online registration and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) cards are compulsory for all devotees undertaking the pilgrimage.
Despite the deferment, the Holy Kapaat of the Shri Machail Mata Ji shrine will reopen on July 25 in accordance with traditional religious rituals. The ceremonies will be performed by the shrine priests and local residents at Machail, while devotees will be allowed to undertake the pilgrimage only after the administration assesses weather conditions as safe.
Sharma said a series of new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) has been introduced this year with a focus on pilgrim safety and convenience. Registration has been made entirely online and is mandatory, while an RFID-based tracking system has been implemented to monitor the movement of every pilgrim throughout the route.
He said the RFID infrastructure has already been installed to regulate crowd movement and prevent congestion at vulnerable locations, including steep gorges and landslide-prone stretches.
Providing details of the route, Sharma said the Yatra begins from Jammu and covers a total distance of 304.7 kilometres to Machail Bhawan. Of this, only 1.7 kilometres must be covered on foot, while the remainder is accessible by road.
The administration has arranged drinking water, electricity, sanitation facilities, toilets and parking at Darshini Deodi, the last motorable point before the shrine. A dedicated bus stand with the capacity to accommodate 50 to 70 vehicles has also been established there to transport pilgrims from Gulabgarh.
Pilgrim movement will be permitted only between 5 am and 5 pm. A daily ceiling of 8,000 pilgrims has been fixed, and any registered devotees exceeding the daily limit will be allowed to proceed on the following day.
Sharma urged pilgrims to complete their registration before beginning the journey through the official portal. Applicants are required to register their mobile number, complete OTP verification and provide details of accompanying family members.
To facilitate the process, two RFID registration counters have been established at the base camp at Gauri Shankar Temple, Sarkoot, Kishtwar, while six to seven additional counters have been set up at Gulabgarh depending on the expected inflow of pilgrims. He said no pilgrim would be permitted to cross the first security checkpoint at Deondi Morh without an RFID card.
The Deputy Commissioner said RFID cards are mandatory for every pilgrim, including children, enabling authorities to monitor crowd movement, identify gatherings at sensitive locations and provide timely guidance and assistance. Police personnel have also been deployed at vulnerable points to discourage pilgrims from halting in unsafe areas.
