J&K: Devotees throng Mata Vaishno Devi shrine on New Year's eve

Sources said that more than 50,000 devotees paid their obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. In a bid to regulate the rush of devotees, the shrine management closed the registration counters in Katra at 7:15 pm on Sunday on New Year's Eve.

Katra (Jammu and Kashmir): A huge rush of devotees thronged the famous Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra area of Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir on the arrival of New Year 2024, to pay their obeisance, sources said. On the arrival of New Year in the religious city of Katra on 31st December, there was a huge jump in the number of devotees at Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra. Sources said that more than 50,000 devotees bowed their heads to pay obeisance before the Hindu goddess Mata Vaishno Devi.

In view of the anticipated rush of devotees, the shrine management at the Mata Vaishno Devi, registration counters in Katra were closed at 7:15 pm on Sunday on New Year's Eve, sources said. An official said that the registration counters were opened afresh at 4 am on Monday once the rush of devotees subsided.

By 4 pm on Sunday evening alone, around 37,000 devotees had registered and left for the shrine as per the official. On the last day of the year, the Shrine Board issued an RFID card with a sticker of December 31 to every devotee. There were long queues at the registration counters in Katra the whole day.

Anshul Garg, CEO of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, said that only those who had a card with a sticker of December 31 were allowed to go for darshan. An official said that due to security reasons no one was allowed to stay in the main shrine after darshan. Despite severe cold weather conditions, there was a huge crowd of devotees heading to the shrine.

But in order to prevent a stampede-like situation, the rush of devotees had to be regulated at the shrine with a huge posse of security deployed at the spot. It can be recalled that during the New Year celebrations at the shrine, at least 12 devotees were killed in stampede due to huge rush of devotees. The management was seen announcing on loudspeakers asking devotees to leave Katra after darshan.