Vaishnodevi: country's busiest cave shrine
Katra(J-K) (PTI): Everyday of the year a mass of humanity surges up the steep pathways that cut across the Trikuta hillside to reach the busiest cave shrine - Mata Vaishnodevi, which is all set to register a record turnout of 70 lakh pilgrims soon.
Once a placid cave shrine in the lap of Trikuta hills a little distance away from Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the shrine and its base camp Katra know no rest as the shrine is visited by over 20,000 pilgrims daily round the clock.
"Pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is for the first time all set to cross the seven million mark within a fortnight as 68.34 lakh pilgrims had paid obeisance to goddess Vaishno Devi this year till now," additional Chief Executive Officer(ACEO), Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board (SMVSB), Puneet Kumar told PTI.
"Going by the present trend, we hope the yatra this year will touch 74 lakh mark. Pilgrimage will cross the seven million mark for the first time in the next 10 days," he said.
With 68.34 lakh pilgrims till today this year, the increase from corresponding period last year was 3.50 lakh, Kumar said, "Katra never sleeps now."
The taking over of the famous Vaishnodevi shrine by the government in 1986 and subsequent improvement in the facilities by the then Governor Jagmohan has led to a flood of pilgrims to the Trikuta shrine located at a height of 6200 meters above sea level.
"This shrine has become the busiest Himalayan and cave shrine across the country. The pilgrim turnout rose from three lakh in 1970 to 52.31 lakh in 2000 and 69.50 lakh in 2006," he said.
National
