*Likely to cross 9.5 mn by year-end
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 26: Holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji has so far witnessed arrival of 93.68 lakh pilgrims this year, highest in the past 10 years and authorities are anticipating the number to reach 95.5 lakh or 96 lakh by the end of the year.
“Till this evening in 2023, 83.68 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance to Goddess Vaishno Devi in Trikuta hills of Katra in Reasi district. The highest yatra recorded in a year during last decade was 93.24 lakh in 2013. That figure has been crossed this evening,” Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) CEO Anshul Garg told the Excelsior.
He said by December 31, total number of pilgrims this year could go up to 95.5 lakh or 96 lakh.
However, in 2013, the yatra registration slips were issued in groups. From then onwards, individual count has started.
The highest number in the history of pilgrimage journey was in 2012, with 1,04,09,569 devotees, followed by 1,01,15,647 in 2011.
Between 37,000 and 44,000 devotees are embarking on the trek to the shrine every day, the officials said, adding, this figure might reach 50,000 by the end of the year.
The Shrine Board CEO said the focus on year-end is on crowd management as large number of pilgrims are expected to visit the shrine.
“Crowd management system is in place and will be properly implemented,” Garg said, adding that adequate arrangements have been made for queue management and darshan of those reaching the cave shrine on year-end and New Year.
Skywalk, he said, has proved very helpful in crowd management.
Besides Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan, adequate arrangements and facilities have also been made for the pilgrims at Katra, Adh-Kunwari, Bhairon Ghati and other places on Katra-Bhawan track.
The shrine has in the recent past seen many additions in terms of facilities, including the Skywalk at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan and Durga Bhavan.
The Skywalk and a remodelled Parvati Bhavan were inaugurated in October by President Droupadi Murmu,
Moreover, the shrine base camp in Katra now boasts of a state-of-the-art call centre which operates round-the-clock and manages nearly 2,500 calls every day from pilgrims from across the world.
In October, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched a ‘live darshan’ facility for the devotees.
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