Machail yatra to Goddess Durga shrine in Kishtwar suspended amid security threats

Srinagar, Aug 03: The annual Machail yatra in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir has been suspended, a day after the Jammu and Kashmir government curtailed the Amarnath Yatra citing a terror alert.

Machail Yatra to Goddess Durga shrine in Kishtwar district of J&K suspended, reported ANI, quoting Angrez Singh Rana, District Commissioner, Kishtwar.

Located in the scenic Padder valley which is famous for its Sapphire, the remote shrine attracts thousands of devotees from across the country despite lack of infrastructure and non-availability of electricity.

Last year, about three lakh pilgrims visited the shrine during the pilgrimage days.

The Kishtwar, which was declared terrorism-free over a decade ago, was rattled by the killing of state secretary of BJP Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar on November 1 last year, followed by assassination of senior RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma and his security guard inside a health centre on April 9.