Pilgrim?s progress

There are rest houses, eateries, blanket stores, medical facilities and enhanced security on the way to Vaishno Devi?s shrine, writes Kiran Bedi.

Counters were closed at the count of 41 thousand pilgrims in the afternoon. And there were thousands still waiting to get the ‘yatri’ slip. The place Katra. The ‘yatri’ slip is the passport to embark on the 12 km trek to Vaishno Devi’s shrine. One among the thousands this New Year, I embarked on my walkathon with my ‘yatri’ permit. I have visited the shrine many times over in the last two decades. The first time was in December 1982 — before Jagmohan, the then Governor of J&K, instituted the Shrine Board in 1986. My feet would slip into the snow in many ditches in the darkness. Yet, at times, the abundance of moonlight showed the way.

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Many things have changed for the better. The Jagmohan-path way, as I would like to call it, is well-sloped now. New walkways have been carved out. There are rest houses, eateries all along the way, blaring devotional music; ticket counters, blanket stores, medical facilities and website guidance with bookings and enhanced security. Sweepers clean up mule droppings off the walkways into drains.

But much can still be improved. Most of all, the Shrine Board, which manages the mammoth institution, can do with greater transparency with a public audit. Its updated website could tell us, the devotees, how much it raised by way of all incomes, donations, royalties etc. and how it spent or invested its money. This is possible only when it recognises and accepts that the devotees/pilgrims are stake-holders.

To facilitate this, it is essential that it institutionalises a feedback system of a prefixed annual board/internet meeting by greater use of technology. Pilgrims from all over the world could get on a chat and relate their experiences and post their suggestions for improvements. The hills along are barren. Surely, a sapling/tree donation plantation drive can be planned, in the name of near or dear ones in these sacred hills. The hills then will no more be barren.

Perhaps, the students of Jammu University, particularly the Gandhi Institute and the Nehru and Ambedkar Institutes could jointly embark on a Project Gandhigiri-Vaishno Devi? As a team, the students could walk up at regular intervals, note the issues as devotees and meet with or ask for regular interaction with the authorities. This will be truly Gandhigiri at Vaishno Devi.

The performance of these students could be made an integral part of their academic assessment and may well become a trend-setter for the rest of the country.