Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 1: Only 77.65 lakh pilgrims visited holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi ji during 2014 as against 92.43 lakh yatris, who had performed darshan at holy cave shrine of the Goddess during 2013, a decline of 14.78 lakh.
The decline in pilgrimage was being attributed to last year’s tragedy at Kedarnath ji cross-border firing in 2013 and 2014 virtually leading to war like situation and devastating floods in September this year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that 77,65,433 pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave shrine of Goddess Vaishno Devi ji this during 2014 as against 92,43,574 in 2013.
During 2011 and 2012, the pilgrimage had crossed one crore mark. While the number of yatris was 1.01 crores in 2011, it went up to 1.04 crore in 2012. After that the yatra has not crossed 10 million mark. In 2014, the yatra was about 22.5 lakh less than one crore figure.
It was only in the months of July and August 2014 that the yatra recorded increase as compared to corresponding months of 2013. However, in rest all 10 months, the yatra was less last year from 2013.
In August 2014, 8,90,348 pilgrims paid obeisance to Goddess Vaishno Devi ji in the holy cave shrine of Trikuta hills, located at the height of 5200 feet from sea level while the number was 7,66,625 in 2013. In July, 9,53,924 yatris visited the shrine as against 8,46,693. The increase was 1,23,723 in August and 1,07,231 in July.
In December 2014, 3,71,736 yatris offered prayers to the Goddess while the number was 4,33,946 in the same month of 2013, a decline of 62, 210 in pilgrimage. In November, the yatra stood at 4,86,971 as against 5,62,160 of 2013, a deficit of 75189. In October, the pilgrimage was 6,43,990 while in 2013 it was 9,85,432, against a massive decline of 3,41,442.
However, the month of September when Jammu and Kashmir was rocked by devastating floods, witnessed highest downfall in yatra by 4,12,321. While only 4,19,862 pilgrims visited Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan in September 2014, the number was 8,32,183 in the corresponding month of 2013.
In June last year, 11,17,934 yatris visited the shrine as against 12,68,313 of 2013, decline of 1,75,786 while in May 8,12,265 pilgrims visited the shrine as against 9,88,051 of 2013, down by 2,83,156.
In the month of April last year 7,49,145 pilgrims visited the shrine as against 10,32,301 of 2013, a deficit of 2,83,156 while in March 6,62,889 yatris performed the darshan while the number was 7,42,416 in 2013, down by 79527.
In February 2014, 2,84,720 pilgrims paid obeisance to the natural pindies of Goddess Vaishno Devi ji as against 3,49,433 of 2013, a decline of 64,713. In January last year, 3,71,649 yatris visited the holy cave shrine as against 4,36,021 of 2013, a deficit of 64372.
Pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi was just 13.95 lakh in 1986 when Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) had taken over affairs of the shrine. Since then, the yatra continued to go up every year creating new records but it fell down during past two years of 2013 and 2014 due to variety of natural reasons, which were beyond the control of the Shrine Board.
It was for the first time in 1991 that the pilgrimage 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.
Shrine Board authorities were confident that the yatra would pick up this year.
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