Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the great holy shrines in Hindu religion. Vaishno Devi temple is situated in the Trikutta Hills in Katra district of Jammu & Kashmir state in India.
If you are planning to visit Mata Vaishno Devi temple then you might be searching for the best time to visit the Mata Vaishno Devi temple.
Vaishno Devi temple is open throughout the year for pilgrims. The area nearby Mata Vaishno Devi temple is hot in summers and very cold in winters. You can also find heavy rain during monsoon season.
Summers are hot and humid at Trikutta hills in Katra district. So, you should plan your trip according to your weather suitability.
Best time to visit Mata Vaishno Devi temple
In this post, we have discussed about best month to visit Mata Vaishno Devi temple in terms of Weather conditions and religious affiliation.
There are four suitable months for pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi according to weather suitability. In our opinion March, April, September and October are the best months for pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi.
The weather has been pleasant in these four months with low rainfall and no snowfall. If you want to experience snowfall then you can also visit Katra in winter season from December to February.
The holy festival of Navratri is celebrated twice a year. The first holy festival of Navratri falls in the months of March to April and the second Navratri festival falls in September-October.
Many people prefer to visit Mata Vaishno Devi in Navratri festival so you can face a huge rush during these days.
Most crowded months at Mata Vaishno Devi
Mata Vaishno Devi holy shrine (पवित्र धर्मिक स्थान) is open throughout the year for pilgrims (तीर्थयात्रियों). May, June and July are the months when the highest number of pilgrims reach Mata Vaishno Devi holy shrine.
Due to high crowd devotees (भक्तों) have to wait for 15-20 hours in the lines at Mata Vaishno Devi temple. So, we suggest you avoid these three months from May to July with peak rush to reach Mata Vaishno devi holy shrine.
Everyday about 15000 to 30000 pilgrims visit Mata Vaishno Devi holy Shrine throughout the year.
Temperature at Mata Vaishno Devi
The temperature is different at Mata Vaishno Devi temple throughout the year. The January month is the coldest month at Mata Vaishno Devi temple when minimum temperature reaches to -5ºC at night.
However, the snowfall starts at Mata Vaishno Devi temple from December itself.
June is the hottest month when the temperature reaches a peak of 34ºC in the daytime. The minimum temperature in the month of June at night falls to 21ºC.
Summer season at Vaishno Devi from April to June
Summer season starts from the month of April and lasts till June at Mata Vaishno Devi temple. June is the hottest month throughout the year when the maximum temperature in the daytime reaches 34ºC.
During the day time sun shines brightly but you not to worry a lot because there is complete shedding on the foot way from Baan Ganga (starting point) to Mata Vaishno Devi temple.
The weather gets very pleasant in the evening and may get somehow cold at night. You are advised to carry light woolen cloth for night time.
Temperature list at Mata Vaishno devi in summer months
| Parameters | April | May | June |
| Avg temp. | 21.5ºC | 26.5ºC | 28.1ºC |
| Min. temp. | 13.8ºC | 18.8ºC | 21.5ºC |
| Max. temp. | 28.3ºC | 33.1ºC | 40ºC |
| Rainfall | 92mm | 37mm | 117mm |
| Humidity | 44% | 36% | 46% |
Monsoon season at Vaishno Devi from July to September
Monsoon season starts from the month of July and lasts till September at Mata Vaishno Devi temple. You can face medium to heavy rainfall from July to September month.
Although there is complete shedding on the foot way from Baan Ganga (starting point) to Mata Vaishno Devi temple which will protect you from rain. But still you are required to carry an umbrella and raincoat with it to protect yourself from rain in this season.
July has the highest rainfall up to 381mm and you can face rain up to 25 days in the month of July followed by August and September with 23days and 21days rainfall respectively.
Temperature list at Mata Vaishno devi in monsoon months
| Parameters | July | August | September |
| Avg temp. | 26.1ºC | 25.1ºC | 23.6ºC |
| Min. temp. | 22.2ºC | 21.6ºC | 18.5ºC |
| Max. temp. | 29.4ºC | 28.3ºC | 28.2ºC |
| Rainfall | 381mm | 311mm | 104mm |
| Humidity | 75% | 81% | 71% |
Winter season at Vaishno Devi from October to March
Winter season starts from the month of October and lasts till March at Mata Vaishno Devi temple. So, the Katra faces 6 months of winter season with snowfall in a few months.
Although there is complete shedding on the foot way from Baan Ganga (starting point) to Mata Vaishno Devi temple which will protect you from snowfall. But still you are required to carry heavy woolen clothes with you to protect yourself from the cold in this season.
Temperature list at Mata Vaishno devi in winter months
| Parameters | October | November | December |
| Avg temp. | 20ºC | 15.1ºC | 10.8ºC |
| Min. temp. | 13.6ºC | 8.5ºC | 1ºC |
| Max. temp. | 26.5ºC | 21.8ºC | 17.7ºC |
| Rainfall | 19mm | 30mm | 63mm |
| Humidity | 55% | 55% | 58% |
| Parameters | January | February | March |
| Avg temp. | 8.9ºC | 11.2ºC | 15.9ºC |
| Min. temp. | -5ºC | 4.3ºC | 8.4ºC |
| Max. temp. | 15.2ºC | 17.4ºC | 22.6ºC |
| Rainfall | 110mm | 169mm | 133mm |
| Humidity | 62% | 61% | 54% |
We hope that you now understand the best time to visit Mata Vaishno Devi for you. We recommend you to visit the Mata Vaishno Devi temple when the weather is suitable for you.
As the temple is open throughout the year, you will find pilgrims throughout the year.
FAQs
Which month is good for Vaishno Devi?
Mata Vaishno Devi holy shrine is open throughout the year but you should plan your journey according to the weather and rush suitability.
March, April, September and October are good to visit Mata Vaishno Devi holy shrine as the weather is pleasant in these months. You will find the least rush in these months.
You should avoid visiting Mata Vaishno devi temple in May, June and July months because of peak rush. Most people come to see Mata Vaishno Devi because these months have long holidays for students and offices.
You can also visit Mata Vaishno Devi in the winter season if you are medically fit. We suggest you to carry heavy woolen clothes if you are visiting in winter season.
In which month there is snowfall in Vaishno Devi?
Snowfall starts in the month of December and remains till February. We recommend you to bring heavy woolen clothes with you if you are visiting Mata Vaishno Devi in the winter season, especially in January and February.
What is the best time to visit Katra?
You should choose a time with pleasant weather and least rush. And in our opinion March, April, September and October months have pleasant weather with the least rush.
If you are medically fit and want to experience the snowfall then you can also consider visiting Mata Vaishno Devi in Winter season December to February.
In these three months you will also find the least rush but you must pack your bag carefully while bringing woolen clothes.
How many days are enough for Vaishno Devi?
It usually takes 4-5 hours to trek up and 2 hours to trek down from Baanganga to Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan and back respectively while walking non-stop.
You should have 6-7 hours with you to trek up including 2 hours of break at Ardhkumari. And 3hours while trek down including few minutes break in the middle.
Total time also depends on the speed and break you take during your journey.
We started from Baanganga and took 01hr 45minutes to reach Ardhkumari and halted for the night and started next day from Ardhkumari and took 1Hr 30minutes to reach Mata’s Bhawan.
Which is the best time for Vaishno Devi trekking?
Mata Vaishno Devi holy shrine is open 24 hours a day. You should always remember that aarti is conducted at the temple two times a day and there is no darshan at the time of Aarti.
And after Aarti there is a lot of rush so we recommend you to complete the darshan before the aarti begins.
In which month is Mata Vaishno Devi cave open?
In January and February old Mata Vaishno Devi case is open for pilgrims. The rush is very less in these months.
In months other than January and February pilgrims have to see the newly constructed caves. The Mata Rani old cave is open after the Makar Sankranti for pilgrims.
How many days are enough for Vaishno Devi?
3 days are enough for Mata Vaishno Devi darshan after reaching Katra if you are planning to cover the Ardhkumari, Mata Bhawan and Bharav baba darshans.
And it also depends on the rush, if there is very little rush then you can cover all three holy shrines in 2 days from Katra and back.