More than 3 lakh devotees paid obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine here in Trikuta Hills of Katra town in Reasi district this year during the just concluded Sharda Navratra, recording the highest number of pilgrims from September 29 to October 7.
Simrandeep Singh, the CEO of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said , “A record 3,64,643 number of pilgrims visited the shrine during the nine-day festival which hogged the limelight this year due to the nearly constructed golden cave entrance, langar and presence of reputed singers for reciting bhajans during the aarti.”
In 2018 3.18 lakh devotees visited the shrine where as in 2017 the figure was 3.03 lakh, 3.50 lakh in 2016, 2.76 lakh in 2015 and 2 lakh in 2014.During the festival of Navratra, 51,225 pilgrims availed the langar service being run by the shrine board. Around 55,477 used the services of pony, pithu and palki to reach the cave.While 71,000 pilgrims availed the cable car facility from Bhawan to Bhairon and back, around 16,000 pilgrims used the battery car service between Ardhkumari and holy cave.5,260 devotees obtained the helicopter service to reach the shrine
