Machail Mata Mandir
Devi (Chandi Mata) temple · Machail, Paddar, Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Photo: Lalit Singh Chauhan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Machail Mata Mandir is a shrine of the goddess Chandi, a form of Durga, in Machail village in the Paddar area of Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. The temple stands in the high Himalaya, which PTI, citing officials, puts at about 9,705 ft. It is the destination of the annual Machail Mata Yatra, a summer pilgrimage that has grown into one of the largest in the Jammu region.
Local people call the goddess Chandi Mata, and the shrine is often called Chandi Dham Machail. Machail cannot be reached by motor road all the way, so pilgrims cover the last stretch on foot through the Paddar valley.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Machail Mata Mandir
Devotees regard Chandi Mata as a living goddess. The Kishtwar district administration describes the Machail Yatra as becoming the second-biggest pilgrimage in the Jammu region, with more than 50,000 pilgrims gathered at Machail at one time on peak days.
Paddar's temples open their doors on the first day of Bhadon (Bhadon Sankranti, around 15–16 August). On that day a large fair is held outside the Chandi Mata temple at Machail, and people from across Paddar come to pray, according to the district administration.
Heritage
History of Machail Mata Mandir
The temple's founding date is not recorded in the sources consulted. The modern yatra centres on the Chhari, the holy mace of the goddess. The district administration records that the Chhari is carried in procession by devotees from Chinote in Bhaderwah, the home village of Thakur Kulbir Singh, under whose care the procession grew. It travels via Pul Doda and Kishtwar to Atholi in Paddar with bhajans, drums and flutes, and a yatra now also sets out from Jammu.
Pilgrim numbers have grown sharply. PTI reported that arrivals rose from about 58,000 in 2022 to about 1.94 lakh in 2023, a record for the 43-day pilgrimage, which ran that year from 25 July to 5 September.
On 14 August 2025, during the yatra, a cloudburst caused a flash flood at Chositi, a village on the pilgrimage route. The Hindu reported dozens of deaths and many people missing, along with damage to homes, shops and a community kitchen for devotees. The yatra was suspended until further notice.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
For the 2026 yatra, the Shri Machail Mata Yatra website stated that online registration and an RFID card were mandatory and that there was no offline registration. Travel on the Kishtwar–Gulabgarh–Machail route was allowed only within set cut-off hours. This was checked in October 2026; arrangements change every year, so confirm current arrangements with the Shri Machail Mata Yatra board or the Kishtwar district administration before you travel.
This is a high-altitude Himalayan trek with landslide and flash-flood risk, as the 2025 disaster showed. Watch weather and route advisories from the district administration.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Shri Machail Mata Yatra committee, chaired by the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, with the Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar as vice-chair (official website) before travelling. Last reviewed 5 October 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Machail Mata Mandir
Machail Mata Yatra
The main annual pilgrimage. In 2023 and 2025 it was scheduled from 25 July to 5 September, beginning with the Chhari Mubarak procession.
Bhadon Sankranti mela
Paddar's temples open on this day, and a large fair is held outside the Chandi Mata temple at Machail.
Baisakhi (reopening of the temple)
PTI reported that the temple doors are opened every year on Baisakhi.
Location
How to Reach Machail Mata Mandir
The Kishtwar district administration lists Jammu airport as the nearest, about 245 km from Kishtwar, and Udhampur (about 166 km) and Jammu Tawi (about 240 km) as the nearest railheads. Regular buses run from Kishtwar to Gulabgarh in Paddar. Beyond Gulabgarh there is no motor road all the way, and pilgrims trek along the Bhaga river through stops such as Chishoti and Hamori to reach the shrine.
The route map on the official yatra website lists about 210 km from Jammu to Kishtwar, 65 km from Kishtwar to Gulabgarh in Paddar, 32 km from Gulabgarh to the Darshani Gate at Machail, and about 2 km on foot from the Darshani Gate to the temple. Older district figures give a longer trek of about 30 km from Gulabgarh, so check the current route before travelling.
Location: Machail, Paddar, Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, India
Nearest airport: Jammu (about 245 km from Kishtwar)
Nearest railway station: Udhampur (about 166 km from Kishtwar); Jammu Tawi (about 240 km)
More in Hindu temples in Jammu & Kashmir · Devi (Chandi Mata) temples
Questions
Machail Mata Mandir: Frequently Asked Questions
Which goddess is worshipped at Machail?
The goddess is Chandi Mata, a manifestation of Durga. The shrine is in Machail village in the Paddar area of Kishtwar district.
When does the Machail Mata Yatra take place?
The yatra runs for about 43 days in late July, August and early September. The 2023 and 2025 yatras were scheduled from 25 July to 5 September. Dates are announced each year by the yatra board and the district administration.
Is registration required for the Machail Yatra?
For 2026, the official yatra website said online registration and an RFID card were mandatory, with no offline registration. Check the current rules before travelling.
What is the Chhari of Machail Mata?
The Chhari is the goddess's holy mace. It is carried in procession from Chinote in Bhaderwah via Kishtwar to Paddar, and the 'Chhari Mubarak' procession now also begins from Jammu.
How do I reach Machail Mata temple?
Travel by road from Jammu to Kishtwar and on to Gulabgarh in Paddar, then continue to Machail on the route set out by the yatra board, finishing on foot. The nearest airport is Jammu, and the nearest railheads are Udhampur and Jammu Tawi.
What happened at Chositi in 2025?
On 14 August 2025 a cloudburst caused a flash flood at Chositi, on the Machail Yatra route. Dozens of people died and many were missing, and the yatra was suspended.
How high is the Machail temple?
PTI, citing officials, described the shrine as being at about 9,705 ft.
Sources and attribution
- © OpenStreetMap contributors — location data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Wikidata Q6723483 — structured data (CC0)
- Wikipedia — Machail Mata — text facts from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kishtwar District Administration, Government of Jammu and Kashmir — Machail Mata
- Shri Machail Mata Yatra committee — Shri Machail Mata Yatra (official yatra website)
- Hindustan Times (PTI) — Machail Mata Yatra sets record with over 2 lakh devotees paying obeisance at the sacred shrine
- Kashmir Life (KNO) — Machail Mata Yatra to remain suspended from July 15–24
- The Hindu — J&K cloudburst kills at least 40, over 100 missing
Further reading: Machail Mata Mandir on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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