Vaishno Devi snowfall video: Trikuta Hills turn pristine white after season’s first snow

• Vaishno Devi Shrine and hill resorts in J&K receive season's first snowfall
• Snowfall boosts tourism, cheers locals, and ends long dry spell in the region
• Traffic halted on NH44 due to slippery roads after heavy snowfall

Did our AI summary help?

The holy shrine of Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district witnessed the season's first snowfall on Thursday, covering the Trikuta Hills in a pristine white blanket and transforming the pilgrimage route into a picturesque winter landscape.

Jammu and Kashmir's picturesque Bhaderwah Valley received the season's first snowfall on Friday morning, after a long wait by the residents.

Jai Mata Di …!!!

Season’s first snowfall at shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan. Devotees were blessed to witness breathtaking weather as fresh snow gently adorned the holy surroundings of Maa Vaishno Devi Bhawan and Bhairon Temple, filling the atmosphere with serenity, devotion,… pic.twitter.com/DVQZ38IaYQ — Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (@OfficialSMVDSB) January 23, 2026

The snowfall transformed Bhaderwah's roads and streets into a white blanket, adding to the charm of the town. Cold weather conditions intensified, prompting residents to take necessary precautions.

Bhaderwah Police and the district administration have issued helpline numbers and advised people to remain cautious, especially while travelling to higher reaches. The hill resort town of Batote in Jammu district also experienced heavy snowfall.

Katra, Jammu & Kashmir: First #snowfall of the season blankets Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine, covering Holi Bhawan in a serene white layer.#JammuAndKashmirpic.twitter.com/J5Bt4Rp09v — All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 23, 2026

The famous hill resorts of Jammu province-Patnitop, Nathatop, Sanasar and Batote experienced the season's first snowfall, thereby not only ending a long dry or drought season but also bringing cheers to all dependent on the tourism industry, like hoteliers, taxi drivers, mule or horse owners, photographers, shopkeepers and vendors near these tourist resorts.

The people in these areas woke up this morning to see a white blanket of snow around their houses.

As predicted by the meteorologists, it had started raining around midnight in Jammu province, which kept increasing in intensity and converted into snowfall on the higher reaches.

It is believed that this rainfall would not only recharge the hydel project reservoirs, thereby increasing the power generation, which had decreased drastically and also recharge the ground water level thereby reviving the springs and wells or Baoilies which is good for the fruit and vegetable production but also have a good effect on the health of people as it would settle the atmospheric pollution and dust.

These tourist hill resorts would now teem with tourists, especially from Mata Shri Vaishno Devi shrine, who would be eager to enjoy the snow, thereby boosting tourism, which had been in a slump since the Pahalgam massacre in April, followed by Operation Sindhoor and rain disasters.

The influx of snow buffs to these hill resorts would somewhat compensate the losses of hoteliers and other stakeholders and give livelihood to vendors and small businessmen.

However, according to SSP Traffic Police, National Highway, Raja Adil Hamid, in view of ongoing rains and snow, traffic has been stopped at safer locations on NH44 as of now as a safety measure due to slippery road conditions.