Jammu-Kashmir: Vaishno Devi Shrine Sees Over 90 Lakh Devotees For Third Straight Year

For the third consecutive year, more than 90 lakh devotees have visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, as reported by the Shrine Board on Thursday.

Anshul Garg, CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, informed ANI that the pilgrimage witnessed over 95 lakh visitors in 2023. “For the third consecutive year, the number of devotees (arriving at the Shrine) has surpassed 90 lakh. Last year, we exceeded 95 lakh. This year’s yatra is following nearly the same pattern,” he mentioned.

Garg stressed ongoing initiatives to improve facilities for devotees and expected an increase in footfall with enhanced connectivity. “We are making efforts to introduce more facilities for the convenience of devotees so that they can have an even better experience. . . We are continually working on various projects,” he stated. He pointed out that connectivity enhancements, such as the Vande Bharat train and the soon-to-be-finished Delhi-Katra Express, are anticipated to elevate the visitor numbers to Katra.

In a post on December 8, Garg declared that the annual pilgrimage to the shrine had exceeded nine million visitors for the third consecutive year since 2022. He also provided updates on several forthcoming projects, including the New Vaishnavi Bhawan with family rooms, an exit track for smoother crowd management, and an all-weather queue complex at Darshani Deodi and Banganga, targeted for completion by 2025.

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine continues to be one of India’s most popular religious sites, consistently attracting millions of devotees each year.