JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on January 2 unveiled the Panchang Calendar–2026 and the official diary of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) at Lok Bhavan in Jammu. The 2026 Panchang, curated under the expert guidance of eminent scholars and priests, serves as a comprehensive spiritual guide for devotees. It provides detailed information on auspicious dates (tithis), festivals, and religious observances for the year 2026.
The SMVDSB was established during the tenure of the late Jagmohan in 1986, and at that time, barely 14 lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine in the Trikuta hills. In the past few years, the number of pilgrims visiting another cave shrine, Shiv Khori, devoted to Lord Shiva, has crossed that number. The number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi was pegged at 65 lakh in 2025. However, the number of pilgrims has often crossed one crore during some years.
The staggering rise in pilgrims to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi has necessitated the creation of additional facilities at Katra, the base camp for the 13-km trek to the holy cave. These additional facilities are created mainly by utilising the money the devotees offer at the shrine. Many details of these facilities are provided in the shrine’s annual diary, which is updated every year.
Due to security concerns, many years ago, pilgrims were not allowed to carry mobile phones or cameras to the shrine. These restrictions were gradually lifted as more security personnel were deployed, and more stringent screening methods were adopted. Incidentally, in 2001, the number of pilgrims to the cave shrine crossed 50 lakh, and over the next 10 years, it touched one crore. There was a heavy rush a couple of days ago, but the Shrine Board authorities stopped mandatory pilgrim registration after it reached 40,000 in a day.
Sinha appreciated the Shrine Board’s efforts in preserving timeless spiritual traditions while ensuring modern utility for pilgrims. He observed that such initiatives strengthen the spiritual connection of devotees across the globe and underscore the Shrine Board’s commitment to service. Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Chief Executive Officer, SASB, briefed that the calendar also highlights several landmark initiatives of the Shrine Board dedicated to devotees, community welfare and environmental sustainability.
The board has also taken up green Trikuta Hills initiative, an environmental drive aimed at preserving the natural sanctity of the Shrine’s surrounding; the provision of free Langar Sewa for devotees; the Swachhata Abhiyan, reinforcing the message of cleanliness and collective responsibility along the pilgrimage route, and the dedication of five temples to the public in District Reasi, symbolizing the Board’s efforts to enrich the spiritual landscape of the region.
Dr. Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to LG; Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Secretary to the Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj; Shri Alok Kumar Maurya, Additional CEO, SASB and other senior officers of SMVDSB were present at the unveiling ceremony.
