Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, paid homage at the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi on Thursday, the second day of her two-day tour to J&K.
She prayed for her countrymen’s prosperity and welfare.
It was her first trip to the sacred site in her capacity as president.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha joined President Murmu on her visit to the shrine. When they first arrived in Jammu, Mayor Rajinder Sharma of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar of Jammu, and IGP Jammu Zone Anand Jain met them at the airport.
Anshul Garg, CEO of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, welcomed the President upon his arrival at the Panchhi helipad.
The President opened a number of cutting-edge amenities geared towards pilgrims at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi temple.
A 250 metre long and 2.5 metre wide skywalk proposal that was 20 feet above the current track was among them.
It was built in a record 14 months at a cost of Rs 15.69 crore to address the issue of the yatra’s multidirectional flow.
A waiting area, seating for roughly 150 yatris, LED displays, rest rooms, and two emergency exits are just a few of the skywalk’s contemporary amenities. Wooden flooring is also included as a precaution for the comfort of pilgrims in inclement weather.
The pedestrian overpass (skywalk) is properly named “Nav Durga Path” because of its visually pleasing entrance, which has a depiction of “Nav Durga” that has been beautifully adorned.
To facilitate orderly and efficient passage of the yatra once it has begun, entrance and exit routes leading to the sanctum sanctorum have been divided.
The stampede catastrophe that occurred in the Bhawan complex on December 31, 2021 night, leaving 12 people dead and 16 others wounded, inspired the idea for the “skywalk.”
It would aid in crowd control and congestion relief within the Bhawan.
President Murmu also dedicated the renovated Parvati Bhawan, which now has 1500 digital lockers as well as a waiting area, restrooms, and washrooms for the devotees.
The purpose of combining many amenities under one roof is to reduce the crisscross movement of worshippers looking for locker rooms and bathrooms in the Bhawan area and direct them towards the skywalk.
A free facility, the renovated Parvati Bhawan could accommodate around 10,000 yatris each day.
Hawan and Pooja rites were performed to kick off the inauguration festivities.
According to a representative of the administration, the President praised the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), which is being led by LG Sinha, for its efforts to make it easier for visitors to get there and have holy darshan.
The President made a stop at the Bhairon shrine on his way back by passenger ropeway.
The President was informed about the steps being taken by the shrine board to upgrade and enhance the infrastructure to make it easier for yatris to reach the holy shrine by the LG, who is also the chairman of the SMVDSB.
It is a testimonial to the passion and commitment of the board, he added, because these measures are intended to make the yatra more convenient and memorable for the pilgrims.
Following her first trip to J&K as the nation’s first citizen, President Murmu visited the shrine at Katra in the Reasi district, travelled back to Jammu late on Thursday afternoon, and immediately took a flight to the union capital.
