Katra Oct 18: During the first three days of the Navratra celebration, more than 1.27 lakh people visited the Vaishno Devi cave temple located atop the Trikuta hills in the Reasi region of Jammu and Kashmir, according to officials on Wednesday. The temple has been prepared to welcome pilgrims from all across the country for the nine-day Navratra celebration, which began on October 15 and is set to end on October 23. Jammu, the country’s winter capital, is 45 kilometres away from the shrine.An official from the temple board stated that during the first three days of the current Navratra celebration, more than 1.27 lakh visitors visited the shrine to pay their respects. He stated that while almost 45,000 pilgrims attended the shrine on Sunday, the second and third days of Navratra saw 41,164 and 41,523 visitors, respectively. Since January of this year, more than 78 lakh pilgrims have reportedly offered prayers at the temple, according to the administration. The greatest number of pilgrims—more than 11.95 lakh—was noted in June, while the lowest—roughly 4.14 lakh—was noted in February.The official stated that everything was set up for the pilgrimage to proceed smoothly and that the additional amenities, including the much-needed skywalk that is situated 20 feet above the current track, have greatly relieved the pilgrims. According to the officials, the skywalk is equipped with contemporary features including LED screens, rest areas, two emergency exits, oak floors, a waiting hall, and seating for roughly 150 pilgrims. According to the organisers, the skywalk features an attractively constructed entryway with a creatively adorned portrayal of “Nav Durga” to provide devotees with an enhanced experience.According to the administrators, the purpose of the renovated “Parvati Bhawan,” which featured 1,500 digital lockers, a waiting space, and restrooms, was to combine several amenities under one roof in order to reduce the erratic movements of devotees in the Bhawan area and direct them towards the skywalk. They said that the renovated Parvati Bhawan serves about 10,000 pilgrims every day and is a free service. For the benefit of the devotees, a “Bhojanalaya” was also established in Bharav Ghati on the first day of Navratra, according to the officials.In addition to twelve refreshment centres or overlooks, the shrine board operates five fully operational Bhojanalyas (three at Bhawan and one each at Adkuwari and Sanjichhat) to offer nutritious meals to pilgrims on a non-profit basis. The pilgrims expressed their delight with the arrangements and commended the shrine board for its ongoing efforts to upgrade and enhance the shrine’s infrastructure.“I came to seek the blessings of Mata after a nine-year break and was shocked to see massive infrastructure development at the shrine and en route for the benefit of the devotees,” Delhi resident Vijay Sharma said. On the third day of Navratra, Sharma went to the shrine with two of his friends and praised the efforts of the shrine board for handling a large influx of pilgrims without any problems.The nine-day event, which is being held in Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the shrine, features a number of highlights, including a wrestling competition called “Hassaya Vyang,” an all-India devotional song competition called Ramleela, Bhagwat Katha, Prabhat Pheri, Shobha Yatra, and a laser show that narrates “Mata Ki Kahani.”
