Srinagar, May 19 (IANS) J&K Lt Governor (L-G), Manoj Sinha, on Monday reconstituted the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board by nominating nine new members.

The L-G is the ex officio chairman of the board, and he is authorised to constitute the board that is empowered to carry on the affairs of the shrine.

A notification approving the reconstitution of the board was issued by the Lieutenant Governor, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

The nine members include Sudha Murty, Mahamandaleshwar, Swami Vishveshvaranand Giriji Maharaj, Ashok Bhan, IPS (Retd.), Baleshwar Rai, IAS (Retd.), Gunjan Rana, K.K. Talwar, Kulbhushan Ahuja, Lalit Bhasin and Suresh Kumar Sharma.

Over 1.50 crore devotees from different places of the country come each year to pay obeisance at the deity’s shrine situated atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district of J&K.

Katra town is the base camp town of the shrine.

The management of the Yatra and the governance and administration of the Shrine are looked after by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, popularly called the Shrine Board.

The Board was set up in August 1986 under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act, 1988.

The main objective of the Act was to provide for better management and governance of the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji and its endowments, including the appurtenant lands and buildings.

The Board comprises a chairman not not more than 10 members.

Vaishno Devi (also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe and Vaishnavi) is a manifestation of the Hindu mother goddess. The deity is worshipped as a combined avatar of the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati.

–IANS

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