Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 11: As the rush of devotees is swelling with each passing day, around 3.20 lakh devotees from all over the country visited the cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi situated in Trikuta Hills of Katra town in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in the ten days of the current month.
A Shrine Board official on Tuesday said, "with examination season over, the rush of devotees has started increasing at the cave shrine."
"It is a festivity-like atmosphere in Katra town due to unprecedented rush and pilgrims from all across the country are reaching to pay obeisance at the cave shrine," he stated. The official said so far in the first ten days of the current month, 3.20 lakh devotees have visited the cave shine, adding, "in the weekend 46,219 (Friday), 47,388 (Saturday) and 37,500 (till 3 PM on Sunday) devotees offered prayers at the sanctum sanctorum.
"Due to heavy rush, the yatra registration center was also closed briefly following which, thousands of pilgrims remained halted at Katra base camp," an official stated adding that devotees were seen standing in long queues to get RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards at Yatra Registration Centers set up by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Katra.
The Shrine Board Administration has opened all Yatra Registration Centers for the convenience of the devotees.
Meanwhile, tight security arrangements are also in place for 24x7 at Katra base camp and en route Bhawan for the safety of the devotees. |
