He admitted that holding the Navratra Festival after the devastating landslide on the track appeared impossible. "As of now, we are ready for this year's Navratra Festival, but we are waiting for directions from the higher-ups," Rajesh Raina, Assistant Director, Tourism, told International Business Times. Navratra festival launched in 1996The festival, first launched by the Tourism Department in 1996, has since become an annual highlight, attracting devotees and tourists alike. Sources said senior officials of the Tourism Department and the Shrine Board are yet to make an official announcement, leaving devotees, traders, and locals in suspense. For now, the fate of the Navratra Festival 2025 hangs in the balance, with the final word resting on whether authorities choose tradition over caution in the aftermath of a devastating natural calamity.