Vaishno Devi pilgrims to be tested at Lakhanpur, Katra railway station, Banganga

At 5,200 ft, the shrine is one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimages and is visited by a large number of pilgrims from across India and all over the world during the Navratri festival

The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi in Trikuta Hills of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir has been decked up for the nine-day Navratri festival, which begins on Tuesday. However, this time the pandemic may cast a shadow over the pilgrimage.

Pilgrims arriving in trains to Katra will undergo RAT at the railway station where Covid kiosks for testing have been set up (Representative Photo/HT)

At 5,200 ft, the shrine is one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimages and is visited by a large number of pilgrims from across India and all over the world during the nine auspicious days. Thus, the administration has tightened security and fixed a ceiling of 25,000 pilgrims in a day.

Pilgrims arriving in trains to Katra will undergo RAT at the railway station where Covid kiosks for testing have been set up. Those arriving via road will undergo Covid-19 test at Lakhanpur—the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir.

Local devotees will undergo Covid 19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) tests at Banganga.

However, it is advisable for the pilgrims, coming from outside J&K to bring their Covid-19 negative reports, preferably RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction )test, not older than 72 hours.

Devotional singers invited

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has said it has made elaborate arrangements to facilitate the pilgrims “The shrine board has invited famous bhajan and bhaint (devotional) singers, who will perform in morning and evening atka aarti.

In run up to the festival, the board’s CEO Ramesh Kumar on Monday visited bhawan (sanctum sanctorum) and other locations on the track and reviewed the arrangements.

He also took stock of the arrangements at yatra registration counters at Katra, Darshani Deodi, Banganga, Adhkuwari, Tarakote Marg, Sanjichhat, Himkoti Marg, Bhawan, Bhairon Complex and other locations enroute Katra to Bhawan with deputy CEOs and other officers, concerned engineers as well as area and unit heads of the Shrine Board.

The arrangements include ensuring round-the-clock water and power supply all along the tracks leading to the shrine, sanitisation, medicare and availability of special ‘fast-related’ food at the catering outlets of the Shrine Board.

Other special features include organising a Shat Chandi Maha Yagya at the holy shrine. The yagya will be telecast live from 10.30am to 12 noon.