Jammu, March 22 (IANS) A huge rush of pilgrims reached the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine base camp, Katra, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Sunday, and they are now proceeding towards the shrine as the Navratri festival picks up momentum.

Office of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said on Sunday that a massive rush of devotees is being witnessed at Katra, the base camp of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, as over 30,000 pilgrims have departed for their onward journey to the holy cave.

The surge in footfall comes in the wake of the ongoing Chaitra Navratri festival, hence drawing thousands of devotees from across the country to seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Despite the heavy inflow, the yatra is progressing in an orderly manner. The authorities are maintaining strict control over the crowd and are ensuring that all essential facilities are available for the pilgrims.

Devotees are praising the overall arrangements of the area, noting that the signboards and informative displays across the area have relatively improved.

Earlier, registration for the yatra resumed at 4 a.m. on Sunday following a temporary suspension on Saturday evening. The registration process was halted nearly four hours ahead of its scheduled 10 p.m. closure due to the overwhelming influx of devotees at Katra.

Despite this brief suspension, the pilgrimage itself continued smoothly throughout the night.

Officials reported that nearly 1 lakh devotees have paid obeisance at the sacred cave shrine since the commencement of Navratri, reflecting a period of intense spiritual fervour.

To manage the high volume, authorities have implemented robust crowd control measures and necessary arrangements to ensure a safe and orderly experience for all pilgrims.

The shrine situated at the top of the Trikuta Hills witnesses over 1 crore pilgrims each year, and the SMVDSB has been efficiently managing the affairs of the shrine under the supervision and guidance of Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, who heads the shrine board.

–IANS

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