Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 23: Pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji has crossed 7 million mark in less than eight months and was heading for surpassing the figure of one crore for second consecutive year.
It was in the year 2011 when pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine had, for the first time, crossed 10 million mark.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 71 lakh yatris have visited the cave shrine, located between Trikuta Hills in Katra town of Reasi district, this year so far. During corresponding period last year, 66.3 lakh yatris had paid obeisance to Goddess Vaishno Devi.
The pilgrimage has gone up by about 4.7 lakh this year so far, sources said and added that if the present trend continued, the yatra would easily cross 1 crore for second consecutive year.
This was for the first time pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine has crossed 12 lakh for three consecutive months of May, June and July recording daily average of about 40,000.
During May, 12,30,440 yatris visited the shrine this year as against 9,37,275 last year while in June, the yatra stood at 12,62,305 as compared to 12,07,688. In July, 12,01,900 pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine as against 11,75,769 last year.
However, the yatra has slightly come down in the month of August, mainly due to rains in most parts of India. Till August 23, 7.35 lakh pilgrims had visited the cave shrine while the number was 7.15 lakh last year during corresponding days.
Sources said if all goes well, the yatra to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine would easily surpass the figure of one crore for second consecutive year.
Though during past couple of years, the shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi had been witnessing heavy rush almost throughout the year excepting winter months of December, January and February, still three months between May to July received maximum yatris.
In the month of January this year, 4.59 lakh pilgrims visited holy cave shrine this year as against 4.21 lakh in 2011 recording an increase of 37,941. In February, 3.92 lakh yatris had darshan of the Goddess this year while the number last year was 3.69 lakh, an increase of 23,113.
In March, the pilgrimage went up to 8.74 lakh as against 7.55 lakh of previous year, up by 1.18 lakh. However, it was in the month of April that the yatra came down to 9.61 lakh this year as compared to 10.32 lakh of last year, a decline of 71,291.
It was during 2011 that yatra to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine had crossed 10 million mark for the first time. Prior to that 87.3 lakh yatris had visited the cave shrine in Trikuta hills in 2010. In 2009, the number of yatris was 82 lakh while in 2008, 67.92 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine.
The Shrine Board was already working on another alternate track from Katra to Adh-Kunwari, which would be used exclusively by mules. When completed, the new alternate track would ease congestion on present track as all mules would be diverted to it, sources said.
Work on this track was going on expeditiously, sources said, adding that the track was expected to be commissioned shortly.
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