As many as 91.25 lakh devotees paid obeisance at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine at Katra in 2022, said Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board Anshul Garg, adding that this was the highest number since the start of online individual yatri registration in 2013.
The New Year rush of pilgrims was professionally handled this time by the Shrine Board staff and security forces to ensure nothing untoward happens. Last year, 12 pilgrims died and 15 were injured in a stampede.
Garg also supervised several safety drills by security forces and J&K Police for the smooth movement of devotees on the occasion of the New Year.
The Shrine Board has introduced several facilities for the convenience for pilgrims. After RFID based yatra cards, 5-storied Durga Bhawan to accommodate 2500 pilgrims and Skywalk are coming up.