Jammu, Oct 28: Over 63 lakh yatris have visited the cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra town of Reasi District thus far in 2022.
Total 13.96 lakh pilgrims visited the cave shrine when the shrine board was incepted in the year 1986 to 101.15 lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine in 2011 and highest 104.95 lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine in the year 2012.
“Since then, the number of pilgrims coming to Katra to pay obeisance before the Hindu Goddess of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi has been declining constantly,” said an official as according to him, 93.24 lakh yatris reached cave shrine in the year 2013 followed by 78.03 lakh pilgrims paying obeisance in 2014, 77.76 lakh in 2015, 77.23 lakh in 2016, 81.78 lakh in 2017, 85.87 lakh in 2018, 79.40 lakh in 2019, 17.20 lakh in 2020, 55.88 lakh in 2021 and 63.81 lakh till August 2022.
He however said that the number of pilgrims visiting the cave shrine decreased in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID related restrictions.
In 2022, a yatra registration official said that highest 11, 29, 231 yatris paid obeisance at the cave shrine followed by 9, 86, 766 yatris visiting Katra in May, 907, 542 in July, 9, 02, 192 in April, 8, 77, 762 in August, 7, 78, 669 in March, 4, 38 521 in January and lowest 3, 61, 0, 74 in January 2022.
He said the number of yatris visiting cave shrine in September and October was also less but it is expected that it will rise in November and December this year.
In the year 2021, 8, 39, 162 yatris visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in September, 7, 53, 561 in October, 6, 46, 415 in November and 6, 38, 207 in December.
Pertinently, 3, 64, 643 pilgrims visited the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Shrine in Katra during the 9 days Navratras culminating on Ram Navami.
