Over 90 lakh pilgrims have visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in J&K for the third consecutive year, officials said.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Anshul Garg, said 95 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine last year.
“For the third consecutive year, the number of devotees arriving at the shrine has crossed 90 lakh. Last year, we crossed 95 lakh. This year’s yatra is following almost the same trend,” Garg said.
He said that the authorities are committed to providing upgraded facilities for the pilgrims, and the footfall will subsequently increase with the improvement in connectivity.
“We are making efforts to bring in more facilities for the convenience of devotees so that they have an even better experience... So, we are continuously working on multiple projects.
The board believes that as the connectivity to Katra is increasing, be it the Vande Bharat train or Delhi-Katra Express, which will be completed very soon, the number of people coming to Katra will increase. So, the Board is furthering infrastructure initiatives,” Garg said.
In a post-social media platform on December 8, Garg wrote that the annual Yatra to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine had surpassed 9 million visitors for the third consecutive year since 2022.
Subsequently, he also noted several upcoming projects, including the new Vaishnavi Bhawan with family rooms, an exit track for hassle-free crowd movement, and an all-weather queue complex at Darshan Deodi and Banganga, expected to be completed by 2025.
Mata Vaishno Devi continues to attract millions of devotees annually, which makes it one of the most visited religious sites in the country.
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