Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 31: Pilgrimage to holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji stood at 7.7 million this year, which was almost at par with the last two years but way short of 2011 and 2012 when the yatra had crossed 10 million.
Official sources told the Excelsior that there was heavy rush of pilgrims at Katra, the base camp of the shrine today, and till late tonight, 53,000 yatris had left for darshan of Goddess Vaishno Devi ji. The number was expected to cross 55,000. With this, the total yatra this year would stand at 77.25 lakh, almost close to the figure of 2015, which was 77.76 lakh. In 2014 also, the yatra was 77.65 lakh, which indicated that the pilgrimage for the past three years was constant around 7.7 million.
Over 5-month long Kashmir unrest, surgical strikes by the Indian Army inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in which 50 Pakistani militants and Army jawans were killed, which was followed by serious tensions on the borders in Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch were attributed as major factors this year behind low yatra turnout.
In 2011, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine had, for the first time, crossed 10 million mark and stood at 1.01 crores. It went up to 1.04 crores in 2012 but came down to 92.43 lakh in 2013.
On December 31, the New Year eve, which always attract heavy rush of pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine, located between Trikuta Hills at the height of 5200 feet from the sea level, 53,000 yatris had left Katra for the shrine and the number was expected to stay around 55,000.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) has made elaborate arrangements to cater to huge rush of the pilgrims at the cave shrine on New Year eve, which was expected to continue till January 1.
Pilgrimage in the month of January this year stood at 4.32 lakh, which came down to 2.96 lakh in February but again jumped to 6.48 lakh in March, 7.56 lakh in April, 9.81 lakh in May and 12.21 lakh in June before it again started a decline and stood at 7.16 lakh in July, 6.19 lakh in August, 5.67 lakh in September, 5.83 lakh in October, 4.48 lakh in November and 4.5 lakh in December.
Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi was just 13.95 lakh in 1986 when the SMVDSB had taken over affairs of the shrine. Since then, the yatra continued to go up every year creating new records but the decline starts in 2013.
It was for the first time in 1991 that the pilgrimage had crossed 3 million (31.15 lakh). The 4 million mark was reached in 1996 while the yatra reached 50 lakh in 2000 and 60 lakh in 2004. It was in 2007 that the yatra stood at 74.17 lakh.
The pilgrimage came down to 67.92 lakh in 2008 due to two months long Amarnath land agitation but again went up to 82 lakh in 2009 and reached 87.2 lakh in 2010. It was for the first time in 2011 that the yatra crossed 10 million mark and stood at 1.01 crore.
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