Amid multi-tier security, pilgrims pay obeisance at Mata Vaishnodevi cave shrine

Reasi (J-K): Thousands of pilgrims flocked the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir as the nine-day Chaitra Navratri festival began on Sunday.

Heavy security arrangements, including AI-enabled CCTV cameras and drones, have been deployed at the base camp of the bhawan and along the route to avert any untoward incident, officials said.

While 48,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine on Saturday, the numbers are set to increase as serpentine queues were seen on Sunday from the base camp to the shrine.

"I greet pilgrims on the occasion of Chaitra Navratri. There is huge enthusiasm among pilgrims from Katra to Bhawan. There has been a significant increase in the flow of pilgrims. Long queues are visible from Katra to bhawan," Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, told reporters here.

To ensure a trouble-free yatra, security and crowd management teams have been deployed en route from Katra to bhawan, he said.

The Shrine Board, which manages the yatra, has taken new initiatives to ease the pilgrimage for the devotees.

Many devotees said they were happy with the arrangements made by the Board.

"On the first day of Navratri, we feel blessed to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. Although there is little difficulty due to heavy rush, it is insignificant when you experience the beauty of the environment and spirituality at bhawan," Amit Sharma from Delhi, said.

Praising the arrangements of the Board, another devotee from Pune, Sudhakar Kadam, said paying obeisance on the first day of the new year of Hindus and Navratri was a dream come true.

"We had planned to visit the cave shrine several times in the past but could not do so. This year, we made a sudden plan and are here on the first day to pay obeisance at the cave shrine. It was Mata's wish," he added.

Paying their obeisance along with five family members, Sunita Sarkar from Kolkata said it was a very smooth yatra as the arrangements and facilities provided by the board were excellent.

"I thought it would be difficult to pay obeisance at the cave shrine due to the huge rush and hilly track. But I must give credit to the management for creating facilities, including accommodation, community kitchens, and queue management," she said.

Elaborate arrangements have been made by the Board and the local administration for the devotees.

The Board has announced that persons with disabilities will receive various free services to facilitate their pilgrimage to the temple in the Katra belt. Garg said "a series of initiatives have recently been introduced for divyang pilgrims, including a dedicated quota in helicopter bookings, aarti, and free battery car services." He further added that advanced online bookings for helicopter services at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine are now available for senior citizens and divyang pilgrims as a special category.

"Reservations can be made through the board’s website," he added.

Regarding new facilities, he said an all-weather covered resting area for 1,500 pilgrims at Ardhkuwari is being set up to facilitate yatris starting this Chaitra Navratri.