Jammu: Braving inclement weather, over 31,000 pilgrims visited the holy town of Katra and paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi temple atop Trikuta hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on the first day of Navratri, officials said on Friday.
“As many as 31,690 pilgrims visited the cave shrine and paid obeisance at the temple on the first day of Navratri (Thursday) till 10 pm,” a senior official of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said.
The nine-day Navratri festival got off to a grand start on March 19, with officials expecting a daily footfall of more than 30,000 pilgrims. It will conclude on March 27.
Decorated with fresh flowers and illuminated with multi-coloured lights for a spectacular view, the cave shrine is witnessing a huge rush of pilgrims.
Officials said over 15,000 pilgrims have registered for the yatra on Friday, while hundreds made a beeline for darshan at the Bhawan since morning.
On Thursday, a large number of devotees, braving rain and chanting “Jai Mata Di,” trekked along the serpentine pathway to the Mata Vaishno Devi temple atop Trikuta hills to pay obeisance and seek the deity’s blessings.
The divine vibrations of Vedic chants and rituals at the holy cave are invoking blessings of peace, prosperity, and well-being for all humanity, they said.
The board has implemented comprehensive, multi-layer security involving CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Army personnel, with 24/7 CCTV surveillance via an Integrated Command and Control Centre, they said.
“Extensive facilities, including free battery car and pony services for the disabled, 24/7 sanitation, water, and food services, have been prepared for the expected influx of pilgrims,” officials said.
The sacred Shat Chandi Maha Yagya has commenced at the revered Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, heralding the auspicious beginning of Chaitra Navratri 2026, officials said.