Devotees make a beeline for Vaishno Devi shrine as Navratri celebrations kick off
Katra (Reasi), Sep 22 (PTI) With chants of ‘Jai Mata Di’ and bhajans played from loudspeakers filling the air in Katra, the base camp for the Mata Vaishno Devi temple, hundreds of devotees on Monday made a beeline for the decked-up shrine atop Trikuta hills on the first day of Navratri to pay obeisance and seek blessings of the deity.
Sparkling lights and colourful decorations have added to the spiritual fervour and gaiety of the town in Reasi district, with devotees setting out on pilgrimage since early morning to seek the blessings of Mata Rani amid multi-tier security arrangements.
The nine-day Navratri festival got off to a grand beginning, with officials expecting a footfall of more than 10,000 pilgrims daily. Close to 10,000 devotees visited the shrine till evening on Monday, they said.
“The Shrine Board has made very elaborate arrangements for the Navratri to ensure a comfortable yatra for the devotees,” Sachin Kumar Vaishya, CEO, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, said.
Welcoming the devotees on the first day of the festival, Vaishya said the Shrine Board has deployed volunteers to guide the pilgrims, manage the rush, and ensure smooth movement along the 13-km yatra route.
Drinking water points, medical stations, and crowd management measures have been put in place to ensure a safe and comfortable pilgrimage experience for the devotees coming from across the country, Vaishya said.
