Over 4 lakh pilgrims visited Vaishno Devi during Navratri: Officials

Jammu, Oct 23 (PTI) The nine-day Navratri festival saw more than four lakh pilgrims offering prayers at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, an official said on Monday.

“An average of 40,000 pilgrims are paying their obeisance daily and over four lakh pilgrims have visited the holy shrine since the onset of Navratri. During the nine-day long Shardiya Navratras last year, about 3.15 lakh pilgrims had visited the holy shrine,” a spokesperson of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said.

He said the nine-day-long Shat Chandi Maha Yagya’ organised by the board for world peace, harmony, prosperity, and health of humanity concluded on the auspicious occasion of Ramanavami at the shrine on Monday.

Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB, Anshul Garg along with the staff, besides pilgrims, participated in Purna Ahuti’ and other religious ceremonies performed amid chanting of vedic mantras, the spokesperson said.

He said a group of pandits led by Padma Shri Prof Vishwamurti Shastri performed the Maha Yagya’.

The special additions to the pilgrimage during the Navratri festival included a skywalk, remodelled Parvati Bhawan, virtual darshan through the holy natural cave, and free langar sewa at Shri Bhairon Ji temple complex, besides the live darshan facility’ and bi-lingual Shakti’ chatbot on the website of the Board for the pilgrims, the spokesperson said.

He said these initiatives are aimed at making the pilgrimage more convenient and enjoyable for the devotees.

The skywalk was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on October 12 and played a pivotal role in the yatra management during the Navratri festival. It achieved the desired aim of decongesting the Bhawan area by streamlining the entry and exit routes to the holy cave, the spokesperson said.