In the year 2012, the number of pilgrims visiting the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi was over one crore. It then stood at 1,04,05000 and since then the number has not crossed a crore (10 million) in the last 12 years. The number was over a crore in 2011 too. This despite the fact that a lot of trains now reach Katra, the base camp of the shrine from all over India.
The number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine has already crossed 90 lakh this year and in the last 20 days of December too, large number of devotees are visiting the shrine. In 2023 and 2023 too, over 90 lakh pilgrims had visited the revered cave shrine. However, due to restrictions imposed on the yatra during Covid-19 period, the numbers had remained very low and in 2020, when the first countrywide lockdown was imposed, the numbers had touched close to the levels witnessed in 1987.
The significance of the year 1987 lies in the fact that during 1986, the control of cave shrine was taken over by the state government in J&K. Earlier, its administration and maintenance was in private hands and the families of baridaars had a lot of say in the day to day functioning. However, once it moved into the hands of the state government, the number of pilgrims set new records almost every year, with more people thronging it as facilities improved.
https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/yatrastatistics)
The government now has plans to establish new Vaishnavi Bhawan, an exit track, and an all-weather queue complex. These initiatives are being taken to cater to the ever increasing number of pilgrims and to make the pilgrimage more comfortable, according to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB).
Anshul Garg, CEO of the Shrine Board, has shared the achievement regarding the board already welcoming over 90 lakh pilgrims this year on X (formerly Twitter) and said that this clearly shows the pilgrims from around the world are ardent devotees whose number is constantly growing.
“Yatra to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine crosses 9 million for the 3rd consecutive year since 2022. Projects in the pipeline for 2025 include New Vaishnavi Bhawan, an exit track, and an all-weather queue complex,” he wrote on X.
The shrine, nestled in the Trikuta Hills of J&K, remains one of India’s most cherished destinations. The management has focused on enhancing facilities and ensuring a safer and more comfortable journey for the visitors. Garg highlighted several projects set for completion by 2025, including the New Vaishnavi Bhawan with family rooms, an exit track for smoother crowd movement, and an all-weather queue complex at Darshani Deodi, Banganga.
The shrine holds profound significance in Hindu spirituality and mythology. Dedicated to Mata Vaishno Devi, an incarnation of Goddess Durga, it symbolizes divine energy (Shakti). According to legend, the goddess meditated and performed penance in the Trikuta Hills, which later became her sacred abode. Bollywood stars, sports icons, judges and industrialists all make a beeline to the shrine and during navratri (twice a year), the number of pilgrims surges upwards.
Historical references to the shrine date back to the Mahabharata, where Arjuna is said to have sought blessings from Mata Vaishno Devi before battle. Over time, the shrine evolved from a secluded cave to a renowned pilgrimage site. During the ancient times, the temple of Mata Kol Kandoli at Nagrota, 16 km north of Jammu, used to be the first stop for pilgrims visiting the cave shrine. The second stop those days was Deva Mai but nowadays most of the ancient practices have stopped.
Some conservationists from Jammu and social organisations are now working to restore some of the resting places and temples falling on the old, traditional route.
