Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 28: Though pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji has crossed 9 million mark, this would be for the first time after two consecutive years that it wouldn’t cross 1 crore figure this year. The shrine has started witnessing heavy rush ahead of the New Year eve, which was expected to last at least till first week of January.
Over 25,000 pilgrims today left Katra, the base camp of holy cave shrine, for darshan of Goddess Vaishno Devi. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) authorities were bracing up to receive at least 50,000 to 60,000 yatris at Katra on December 31. They would be released in batches to ensure that there was no congestion at the Bhawan.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 91.22 lakh pilgrims have visited the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji, located between Trikuta Hills in Reasi district this year so far and number of yatris was expected to be around 93 lakh in 2013, which would be about 11 lakh short than 2012 and eight lakh from 2011.
The massive decline in pilgrimage this year was being attributed to Uttarakhand tragedy in June, Kishtwar violence in August and escalated tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) from August to October.
“Despite all odds, the arrival of around 93 lakh pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan was a very positive signal. It would be third highest ever number of yatris in history of the shrine after 1.04 crores of 2012 and 1.01 crores of 2011,’’ sources said.
In December, so far 3,67,827 pilgrims have paid obeisance to Goddess Vaishno Devi as against 4,43,987 in the corresponding month of last year—a decline of 76,160. In November, 5,62,160 yatris had darshan at the cave shrine while the number was 6,58,581 in the same month previous year—a decline of 96,421 this year.
Meanwhile, the SMVDSB authorities have geared up to receive heavy rush of pilgrims on the New Year eve. Generally, 50,000 to 60,000 pilgrims reach Katra every year on December 1 to celebrate New Year at the Bhawan of Goddess Vaishno Devi. The pilgrims are released in a way that there was no congestion at the Bhawan and the people also managed to have darshan of the Goddess.
Heavy rush of yatris, sources said, would continue till first week of January.
The pilgrimage was almost at par with the last year during first six months of 2013 but it went down in the next about five months.
Pilgrimage went down by nearly four lakh in the month of July soon after Uttarakhand tragedy and by over two lakh in the month of August. The months of September, October and November have also witnessed decline in the yatra albeit the difference was not as high as in July and August.
During 2011, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, located at a height of 5200 feet from sea level, had, for the first time, crossed the figure of 10 million and stood at 1.01 crore. In 2012, the yatra went up to 1.04 crore.
During first six months of 2013, the trends indicated that pilgrimage would touch 10 million for third consecutive year but then the decline started and the yatra would now stand around 93 lakh.
After all time high yatra in a month to the shrine (12.68 lakh in June) this year, which was 52,000 more than the pilgrimage recorded in the same month last year, it went down considerably in the month of July when only 8.46 lakh devotees visited Vaishno Devi Bhawan as compared to 12.01 lakh last year.
In August, the yatra recorded further decline with 8.46 lakh pilgrims visiting the holy shrine as against 9.84 lakh of last year while in September 7.66 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance to the Goddess as against 8.77 lakh of last year. In October 9,85,432 pilgrims paid obeisance to the Goddess as against 9,92,188 of last year. In November 5.62 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine as against 6.58 lakh of last year.
Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi was 13.95 lakh in 1986 when Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) had taken over affairs of the shrine. Since then, the yatra continued to go up every year creating new records.
It was for the first time in 1991 that the pilgrimage crossed 3 million (31.15 lakh). The 4 million mark was reached in 1996 while the yatra reached 50 lakh in 2000 and 60 lakh in 2004. It was in 2007 that the yatra stood at 74.17 lakh.
The pilgrimage came down to 67.92 lakh in 2008 due to two months long Amarnath land agitation but again went up to 82 lakh in 2009 and reached 87.2 lakh in 2010. It was for the first time in 2011 that the yatra crossed 10 million mark and stood at 1.01 crore.
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