Jammu and Kashmir: On the occasion of New Year, the number of devotees at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Dham in Jammu and Kashmir has broken all the old records. The situation has become such that at many places there is no space left to even set foot. Due to the ever increasing crowd, not only the devotees are facing difficulties, but it has also become a big challenge for the administration and the Shrine Board to run the arrangements smoothly. In view of these circumstances, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has taken an important decision and has temporarily suspended the Yatra registration till the morning of January 1, so that the crowd can be controlled and security arrangements can be maintained.

Huge crowd at tourist places on New Year
Let us tell you that not only Vaishno Devi, but huge crowd is being seen at major religious and tourist places across the country on New Year. There is a flood of tourists in hill stations like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Manali, Shimla and Nainital. The situation is similar in Mathura, Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Kashi, Jagannathpuri, Dwarka, Mahakal Temple of Ujjain and Shirdi. Before the beginning of the year 2026, a large number of people want to welcome the new year by having darshan of God.

Growing religious interest in GEN-Z
This time a special thing is being seen that a large number of young devotees are reaching the temples and pilgrimage places. Those commonly known as GEN-Z are also choosing religious places for New Year celebrations. He believes that starting the new year with the darshan of God rather than a party or picnic is a more positive and peaceful experience.

Situation challenging in Mathura-Vrindavan
The crowd of devotees in Mathura and Vrindavan is so huge that it has become difficult to even walk inside the city. Many people had reached Vrindavan two-three days ago. To handle the situation, the administration has banned the entry of vehicles in the city. The temple committee had appealed to avoid coming with the elderly and small children till January 5, but it did not have much impact in comparison to the enthusiasm of the devotees.

Preparations of administration and temple committees
In view of the crowd, the timing of darshan at Banke Bihari Temple has been extended. Separate entry and exit gates have been opened for the movement of devotees. A large number of police forces and volunteers have been deployed so that there is no chaos. Although people have to stand in queues for hours for darshan, there is still restraint and reverence in the atmosphere.

Starting the new year with faith
Devotees say that they want to start the new year with God’s blessings. A little inconvenience or a long wait does not matter to them. This is the reason why despite such a huge crowd, peace and discipline is maintained at most places. This crowd gathered on New Year clearly shows that faith and belief still play an important role in people’s lives.