Upbeat over heavy influx of devotees to Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Chief Executive Officer Sachin Kumar Vaishya on Wednesday said that the Shrine board is continuously working to enhance facilities and arrangements for pilgrims visiting the shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.
He expressed satisfaction over the heavy influx of devotees coinciding with New Year celebrations, and said adequate arrangements, including accommodation, security, and smooth darshan, have been ensured so that pilgrims do not face any inconvenience. Pilgrims in huge numbers are arriving in Katra to seek blessings at the Shrine before commencement of new year.“We are witnessing a heavy influx of devotees over the past few days which is encouraging for all of us and is expected to increase further in 2026,” the CEO told reporters in Katra on Wednesday.
He said ensuring adequate arrangements for pilgrims remains the top priority of the shrine board, with special focus on security, accommodation, darshan, and other related facilities.“Adequate arrangements are in place to ensure pilgrims do not face any inconvenience during their yatra. The new one-hour ‘Sadhana’ arrangement at the Bhawan has shown encouraging results,” he said.
The CEO said though all necessary arrangements are in place, the board is continuously making efforts to further improve facilities for the visitors.“We want the visiting devotees to have a good experience and share it with others back home,” he said, adding several ongoing projects are expected to be completed soon, which will further strengthen the arrangements.
Vaishya said the recently introduced ‘Sadhana Kaksh’ (meditation hall) at the Bhawan (shrine premises) has received an encouraging response.On December 13, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board dedicated the ‘Sadhana Kaksh’ to provide devotees a space for prayer and meditation during the yatra.The pilgrim footfall at the revered shrine fell below the 70-lakh mark in 2025, marking a significant decline as a series of security-related incidents and prolonged weather disruptions affected the annual pilgrimage.
According to officials, over 69 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance at the shrine this year.Compared to last year when annual footfall had crossed 94.84-lakh, the over 27 per cent drop underscores the cumulative effect of security concerns and natural disruptions on religious tourism in the region.In order to cope with heavy influx around new year, Northern Railway have arranged special trains to Jammu besides the routine trains in place.
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