Katra : The nine day Sharadiya Navratri festival commenced at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday with a large number of devotees arriving at the holy cave shrine despite inclement weather conditions.

The shrine atop the Trikuta hills reverberated with religious chants as pilgrims gathered to seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi on the first day of Navratri, creating an atmosphere of devotion and spiritual fervour.

An official said helicopter services remained suspended on Sunday due to adverse weather conditions.

However, the pilgrimage continued, with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board making special arrangements to ensure the safety of devotees and facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims.

Devotees expressed satisfaction with the arrangements, particularly the floral decorations at the Bhawan and crowd management measures.

Pankaj Kumar, a pilgrim from Bihar, said he had been visiting the shrine on the first day of Navratri for eight consecutive years and appreciated the arrangements.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Udhampur-Reasi Range, Shiv Kumar Sharma, conducted a joint security review in Katra along with Army and Central Armed Police Forces personnel to assess preparedness for the expected influx of pilgrims.

He directed officers to maintain heightened vigilance, intensify patrolling, strengthen inter.agency coordination and regulate pilgrim movement.

The Navratri festival will be formally celebrated at Yog Ashram Ground in Katra, with the inaugural programme scheduled for Sunday evening. The celebrations will continue until October 19, featuring cultural programmes, a multimedia exhibition, a daily Shobha Yatra with 15 illuminated tableaux from Asia Chowk, and other religious and cultural activities.

A wrestling competition is scheduled for October 18 at the Sports Stadium in Katra, while a Mata Ka Jagran will be organised at Raghunath Mandir Chowk in Jammu, the official said.