Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra: Huge crowd of devotees gathered on the last day of the year. On the arrival of the new year, a huge crowd of devotees is seen in the court of Mata Vaishno Devi. Despite the ongoing strike against the ropeway, devotees from all over the country have reached Katra to visit Mata. The route from Bhawan to Katra is seen overflowing with devotees and with this all the devotees are chanting “Jai Mata Di”.
41,445 devotees reached Mata’s court
On the first day of the new year, 41,445 devotees reached for the darshan of Mata Vaishno Devi. But this figure is slightly less than last year. In 2023, 94 lakh 80 thousand 197 devotees had attended the feet of Mata. Whereas in 2024 this number was 94 lakh 41,965.
The crowd of devotees on the Yatra route was so huge that there are long queues at the Yatra registration centers and Darshan Deori throughout the day. A line of about one and a half kilometer long was seen at the Bhawan and a kilometer long line was seen at the Darshan Deori.
Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra enthusiasm of devotees intact
Despite the closure of horse, porter and palanquin services due to the strike against the ropeway, the enthusiasm of the devotees has not diminished. All the devotees were seen moving towards the Bhawan with full enthusiasm and devotion with sticks in their hands and “Jai Mata Di” chunni tied on their foreheads.
Police and administration alert
The police and administration are fully alert to handle the huge crowd of devotees. The Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board is also keeping a close watch on the crowd, so that the devotees can travel smoothly and they do not have to face any kind of difficulty.
Langar services for devotees
Langars have been set up at various places for the convenience of devotees coming from all over the country. Langars have been organised by Maa Vaishno Devi Seva Samiti Kaithal (Haryana) and other organisations at places like Railway Road, Udhampur Road, Charan Paduka Mandir Area, Tarakot Road, Sanjhi Chhat, and Ban Ganga. In these langars, food and other facilities were provided to the devotees.
The busiest day in history
In the history of the pilgrimage of Maa Vaishno Devi, the highest number of devotees, 54,696, had reached for the darshan in a single day on 30 September 2017.
The route from Katra to Bhawan presents a festive atmosphere, where the coming and going of devotees and the chanting of “Jai Mata Di” are making the atmosphere devotional. Due to which the devotees are completing their journey quickly.
This tradition of visiting Mata Vaishno Devi on the New Year is not only a symbol of the faith of the devotees, but it is also seen as a cultural festival. Despite the strike and other challenges, the faith and enthusiasm of the devotees make this journey special.
Leave a Reply