Jammu, July 4: More than 50 lakh devotees have paid obeisance in the first six months this year at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Shrine nestled in the Trikuta Hills at Katra town in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources on Tuesday said that from January to June this year, 50,43,438 lakh devotees have paid the obeisance at the cave shrine, adding, “this year around six lakh more devotees visited the cave shrine as 45,96,453 pilgrims visited the Bhawan in this period in 2022.” The number of pilgrims swelled in the months of May-June in view of summer vacations in schools, adding, “at present, , around 30,000 to 35,000 pilgrims are reaching Katra per day to trek a 13-km long track to reach the Bhawan.” As per official data, in January this year 5,24,189 pilgrims visited the cave shrine, 4,14,432 in February, 8, 94,650 in March, 10,18,540 in April, 9,95,773 in May and 11,95,844 in the month of June. In 2022, in January, 4,38,521 pilgrims visited the cave shrine, 3,61,074 in February, 7,78,669 in March, 9,02,192 in April, 9,86,766 in May and 11,29,231 in June, said an official. |