Number of pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in J&K this year crosses 80 lakh mark

Twitted by AIR The number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta Hills in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir this year has crossed the 80 lakh mark. 

The number of pilgrims is expected to touch a one crore mark this year after 11 years. 

Four lakh yatris paid obeisance to the Goddess Mata Vaishno Devi during the last 10 days including the nine-day Navratras. 

On average, 35 to 40 thousand pilgrims are daily visiting the holy cave shrine.

Meanwhile, four major projects were launched at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan during Navratras including Skywalk, remodeled Parvati Bhawan, expanded Atka area, and free Langar for the yatris at Bhairon Ghati.

Besides this, virtual darshan through the holy natural cave, the ‘live darshan facility’, and bi-lingual ‘Shakti’ Chatbot on the website of the shrine board for the pilgrims have been also started.

These initiatives are aimed at making the pilgrimage more convenient and enjoyable for the devotees.

The skywalk was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on October 12 and played a pivotal role in the yatra management during the Navratri festival.

It achieved the desired aim of decongesting the Bhawan area by streamlining the entry and exit routes to the holy cave. Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine had for the first time crossed one crore in 2011.

It again crossed the one crore mark in 2012 but since then it hasn’t touched the milestone.

If the pilgrimage reaches the figure of one crore this year, it will be after 11 years that the 10 million mark will be achieved.

The annual pilgrimage to the cave shrine was just 13.86 lakh in 1986 when the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVSB) took over affairs of the shrine.

Since then, many facilities have been added for the pilgrims to make their yatra smooth and convenient.