Chaitra Navratri has drawn a huge rush of pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, with over 2.69 lakh devotees offering prayers at the cave shrine during the ongoing festival.
“The yatra is going on smoothly. There is a huge rush. As many as 2,69,716 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the temple till March 25,” a senior official of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said.
Hundreds of devotees, chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’, are trekking along the serpentine pathway to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple to pay obeisance.
Chaitra Navratri, being observed from March 19 to March 27, is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Navdurga and holds special significance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, which records one of its highest pilgrim footfalls during this period.
According to the data, 31,815 pilgrims paid obeisance at the temple on the first day of Navratri on March 19, while 34,805 devotees visited the shrine on March 20, 41,078 on March 21, 43,482 on March 22, 45,478 on March 23, 38,158 on March 24 and 34,900 on March 25.
The registration of pilgrims was suspended twice for brief periods to manage the heavy rush of pilgrims, they said.
Katra, the twin routes and the Bhawan temple area, dazzling with lights and flower-decked decorations, resonate with spiritual fervour and traditional gaiety as the nine-day-long festival of Chaitra Navratri began amid multi-tier security.
Authorities have put in place multi-tier security arrangements at the Katra base camp and en route to the shrine to ensure a safe yatra.
The Board has deployed volunteers to guide pilgrims, manage the anticipated rush and ensure smooth movement along the 13-km yatra route, the official said.
This year, the Shrine Board introduced wireless communication to enhance coordination and communication along the yatra route. A multi-tier security grid involving the police, CRPF, other paramilitary forces and quick-response teams (QRTs) is in place throughout the festival, officials said.
The sacred Shat Chandi Maha Yagya commenced at the revered Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on March 19, heralding the auspicious beginning of Chaitra Navratri, officials said.
The divine vibrations of Vedic chants and rituals at the holy cave are invoking blessings of peace, prosperity and well-being for all humanity, they said.City & Local Guides
