Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, June 28: As the Shiv Khori cave shrine attracted over 11 lakh pilgrims this year, the authorities are geared up to provide every possible facility to devotees to divert as many as pilgrims of Vaishno Devi towards other places of pilgrimages in the Reasi district.
Earlier, devotees were visiting the cave during Maha Shivratri, but now shrine is also witnessing heavy rush during Amarnath Yatra.
Reasi, is now emerging as a second largest tourist destination of Jammu and Kashmir as the Vaishno Devi shrine attracts over 1.1 crore and the Shiv Khori cave shrine is attracting 20 lakh pilgrims attracting annually.
“Shiv Khori is attracting a good number of devotees as since the start of Amarnath Yatra, over 20 thousand devotees have paid obeisance at the Shiv Khori Shrine,” said Deputy Commissioner Reasi Dr Shahid Iqbal.
“Aghar Jitto, Noaun Pindian, Baba Dhansar, Deera Baba Banda Bahudur and Shiv Khori are the holy shrines which have been developed to divert the maximum number of the pilgrims of Vaishno Devi towards the interior of Reasi district”, added Dr Iqbal.
During 2013, over 20 lakh pilgrims had ‘darshan’ of the holy Shiv Lingam and other deities in the cave, Choudhary said, adding “at present, 5000 to 6000 devotees are visiting the cave shrine daily to pay obeisance and their numbers are increasing.”
Keeping in view the natural beauty, topography and significance of the area, the Board is also making all-out efforts to develop the place as a popular tourist resort with infrastructure for the visiting pilgrims. A number of development works have been taken up by the Shiv Khori Shrine Board to provide facilities to the pilgrims.
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