Excelsior Correspondent
REASI, July 3: “The tourist influx to Shiv Khori Cave Shrine is expected to touch 25 lakh mark by the end of 2013”, said Executive Officer Shiv Khori Shrine Board, Dr Manmeet Kumar Motten here today.
“At present, 5000 to 6000 devotees are visiting the holy shrine daily which can go further in view of Shri Amarnathji yatra”, added the officer.
During this year, so far, the revered cave of Lord Shiva received a record number of 10.64 lakh pilgrims.
The Shrine, which earlier witnessed heavy rush during Shivratri, is now also receiving a good number of devotees during Amarnathji Yatra.
The mounting number of pilgrims to the shrine clearly indicates that Reasi, is now emerging as an attractive tourist district of Jammu and Kashmir which records 20 lakh devotees annually.
Since the start of Amarnathji yatra Shiv Khori Shrine has received over 25 thousand devotees.
The EO further informed that various other sacred tourist destinations like Aghar Jitto, Noaun Pindian, Baba Dhansar and Dera Baba Banda Bahudur have been developed to divert maximum number of the pilgrims of Vaishno Devi towards the interior of Reasi district.
After Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori is the only religious place which has been a huge rush of devotees from all over the country.
According to an official data, a record number of over 10,63,439 pilgrims visited the cave situated in Sanger village near Ransoo of Pouni block during current year, so far.
Keeping in view the natural beauty, topography and significance of the area, the board is also making efforts to develop the place as a popular tourist resort with all required infrastructure for the visiting pilgrims.