E-Paper
Chaitra Navratras: 23k devotees pay obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on Day 1
Amid chanting of vedic mantras and performance of other religious ceremonies, ‘Shat Chandi Maha Yagya’ (a special prayer) marked the start of nine-day-long ‘Chaitra Navratras’ festival at the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said
Amid chanting of vedic mantras and performance of other religious ceremonies, ‘Shat Chandi Maha Yagya’ (a special prayer) marked the start of nine-day-long ‘Chaitra Navratras’ festival at the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.
Chief executive officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Ramesh Kumar said that by 5pm on Saturday, 23,000 pilgrims had paid their obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
The administration has made tight security arrangements for festival at the cave shrine and base camp of Katra. “Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure safety of pilgrims. CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police besides some columns of Army have been deployed at the base camp of Katra, Katra Railway Station and on the twin tracks. The pilgrimage is being monitored 24x7 through surveillance cameras,” said a senior police officer.
At 5,200 ft, the cave shrine is one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimages and devotees from all over the country and abroad visit the shrine on auspicious days.
The Maha Yagya marks the onset of the festival which is being performed at the holy cave shrine for peace, prosperity and health of humanity and will conclude with Purna Ahuti on Mahanavami. Kumar and other officials of the Shrine Board, besides a large number of pilgrims, were present on the occasion.
Like in the past, they said, the Bhawan (Sanctum Sanctorum) of Mata Vaishno Devi, Atka and the area surrounding it have been profusely decorated. The decorations are made with indigenous-foreign fruits and flowers, as well as huge reception doors and pandals have been installed in the Bhawan area, the officials said, adding the illumination of the area with attractive and colourful lights has also been done.
The Shrine Board has also made elaborate arrangements to facilitate a large number of pilgrims like ensuring round the clock water and power supply all along the tracks leading to the shrine, sanitation and sanitisation and availability of special “fast related” food at the board’s Bhojanalaya (community kitchens).
Besides, all the routes leading to the cave shrine have been fully maintained for smooth movement of pilgrims, they said.
Besides, special teams of shrine officers have been constituted for monitoring hassle-free operation of yatra at all the stations on the track leading to the shrine, the officials said.
