Shri Machail Mata Yatra 2023

The Directorate of Tourism, Jammu and District Administration Kishtwar invites all to Shri Machail Mata Yatra 2023 starting from 25th July 2023. Chandi Mata yatra of Machail starts from Pacca Danga, Jammu via Bhaderwah and Kishtwar (Kashtavata) to Machail of Padder and is very famous among Hindus all over the country. Chandi Mata Temple is a Goddess Durga shrine popularly known as Machail Mata and is located in the village Machail of sub ision paddar, from where it derives its name, in Kishtwar District of Jammu region in India. It may be noted that Goddess Durga is also, known by the name Kaali or Chandi. The temple’s history is entwined with the conquests of Zorawar Singh Kahluria, who in 1834 sought blessings of Machail mata, before crossing the mountains and Suru River (Indus), with 5000 men for vanquishing an army of local Botis of Ladakh. He became a faithful devotee after the successful mission. The area is home to Buddhist community and the Thakur community who are serpent worshipers, and was merged with Kishtwar tehsil, by Maharaja Ranbir Singh. Thousands of people visit the shrine every year mainly from Jammu region. The shrine was visited in 1981 by Thakur Kulveer Singh of Bhaderwah, Jammu region. From 1987 onwards, Thakur Kulveer SIngh started ‘Chhadi Yatra’ that happens every year and thousands of people visit the shrine every year during ‘Chhadi Yatra’. Machail Yatries have to trek about 33Km from Gulabghar through scenic nature along side the bank of Bhut Nallah. Machail mata Sthan, as the shrine is popularly known, has a landscape of unblemished beauty with hills, glaciers and tributaries of the Chenab River. The Village of Machail is surrounded by Mountain peaks like Shiv Ling, Ghandhari and famous Sapphire mines of Sumcham village. For making Yatra easy, Helicopter service has also been started from Gulabgarh. There is lot of supernatural happenings that the pilgrims experience and report.