J&K LG flags off pilgrimage along heritage route to Vaishno Devi shrine

Jammu, Apr 14 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday attended ‘Pratham Pooja’ of the 22nd ‘Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Pracheen Marg Pavitra Chhari Yatra’ at holy Kol Kandoli Temple in Nagrota here. Sinha paid obeisance at the temple and later flagged off the ‘Chhari Yatra’ carrying ‘holy Jyot’, an official spokesperson said.

He said the Yatra will pass through the heritage route before reaching Oli Mata temple Bamyal-Chhapanoo. The Lt Governor greeted the devotees and prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of J-K, the spokesperson said. Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana has been advocating for the revival of the traditional route to the famous shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi district.

The route starts from village Jagti (Nagrota) along Jammu-Srinagar national highway and passes through Jagdamba Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple, Durga Mata Temple-Pangali, Shiv Temple-Thandapani, Shiv Shakti Temple, Raja Mandleek Temple and Raja Nowalgarh Temple in Marh-Drabi, Kali Mata Temple, Gundla Talab, Ram Darbar, Shiv Temple, Bamyal and Oli Temple Chhapanoo-Bamyal.

Rana, a former MLA from Nagrota, has been demanding development of the old track as an alternate route for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine and conservation of heritage assets particularly the step wells, ponds, sarais, temples and springs on the old route.