Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the organization that was destined to play extraordinary role in popularizing a venerable religious shrine up the Trikuta Hills near Jammu, formally came into being in 1986. Till then, the shrine was run by the priests (puruhits), some of whom were traditional priests conducting religious and prayer ceremony at the shrine. Soon after the Shrine Board was constituted, and the Governor of the State became its Chairman, the administration of the shrine focussing on providing more and more facilities to the pilgrims began witnessing big and very welcome change. The shrine is located +5000 feet above sea level amidst the Trikuta heights. The approach to the shrine in days prior to the constitution of the Shrine Board was a single mountain track on which pilgrims trekked all the way up to the shrine. Later on, some palki wallas were also to be seen carrying old and infirm pilgrims on the palkis. But as days passed by, things began to change. Actually, the first blue print for improving and modernizing the pilgrimage to the shrine was prepared by the then Governor Jagmohan. Himself an architect of great vision, he laid down the roadmap for all types of services at the shrine; transport facilities from Jammu city to Katra, hotel and residential accommodation, catering services, pony and palkiwala services, broadening the uphill path and paving it so that during rainy season pilgrims would not be faced with difficulties, provision of medical facilities and other emergency services, introduction of cards to help pilgrims face minimum wait for the darshan, taking care of ecology and environment around the shrine, and the arrangement of lights and sheds for temporary protection against rain and snow and storm, these were the areas taken care of by the planners of the Board.
In the first year after the constitution of the Shrine Board barely 14 lakh pilgrims from different parts of the country came to pay obeisance at the shrine of the Mata. Even from the standards of pilgrimage in those days, this was not a small number but the managers of the shrine were confident that with the passage of time the number of pilgrims would swell to large proportions.
But after the present Governor took charge of the Shrine Board, things began to change drastically and there appeared great activity towards development of the shrine and all relevant matters. The town of Katra grew, its trade and business received impetus, traffic increased manifold, the track up to the Holy shrine was widened and made very safe, helicopter services have been introduced, arrangement of light and water supply has been streamlined, emergency medical support is available, restaurants, hotels, motels, eateries and other services are abundantly available. Sanitation and ecological balance are given special importance.
The town of Katra wore a new look. To crown all, railway line was extended from Udhampur to Katra which facilitated pilgrims to move rapidly. With this, there appeared phenomenal increase in the number of pilgrims coming from different parts of the country to pay obeisance at the shrine. In 2011 and 2012, the number crossed one crore each year. We can imagine the boom in the trade and business connected with pilgrimage industry. The fact is that pilgrim tourism opened a new chapter in the history of tourism in the State owing to the large number of pilgrims coming from different parts of the country. The great attraction which Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has for the pilgrims is that it is situated at a height on the Trikuta Hills, the track of which presents tremendous scenic beauty and energizes the pilgrims to enjoy the trek which they are not usually able to enjoy in the plains of India. The trek up and down is somewhat tolerable and the pilgrims enjoy it besides getting the spiritual satisfaction of having touched the feet of the Great Mother.
According a report of the Shrine Board released recently, we are told that the number of pilgrims during the year 2014 dwindled to just 92. 43 lakhs which is 14.76 lakh less than the number in previous year. Though this year, rail link up to Katra was also established yet the number of pilgrims has come down. The reasons can be more than one. The tragedy that struck at the Kedarnath pilgrimage scared many pilgrims who would have headed towards Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Secondly, the devastating floods during the month of September last year played havoc and demoralized the pilgrims who would not take any risk. Even elections that were held during November-
December this year also contributed to the dwindling of the number of pilgrims. But it should be made clear that there was absolutely no weakness or unpreparedness on the part of the Shrine Board in providing facilities to the pilgrims. Rather, the facilities available to them now have never been available before. In the area of education and social development, the Shrine Board has made great contribution by opening a university where students flock for study and research. Many more programmes of social welfare are on the anvil and hopefully will be completed in a short period of time. This is bound to become a shrine of its own pattern oriented to the social, cultural and spiritual life of the people of our country.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel