Katra: The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on the second day of her two-day J&K visit, paid obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi on Thursday.
She prayed for the prosperity and well-being of fellow citizens.
This was her first visit as President to the holy shrine.
President Murmu was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha during her visit to the shrine. Earlier they arrived in Jammu where they were received at the airport by Mayor Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Rajinder Sharma, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Ramesh Kumar and IGP Jammu Zone Anand Jain.
On arrival at the Panchhi helipad, the President was received by Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
The President inaugurated various state-of-the-art pilgrim-centric facilities at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
These included a 250-meter-long and 2.5-meter-wide skywalk project at an elevation of 20 feet above the existing track.
It has been constructed in a record 14 months at Rs 15.69 crore to overcome the problem of the multidirectional flow of yatra.
The skywalk is equipped with modernised facilities like wooden flooring as a preventive measure for devotees’ comfort in harsh weather conditions, a waiting hall, seating arrangements for about 150 yatris, LED screens, resting rooms and two emergency exits.
The pedestrian flyover (skywalk) has an aesthetically designed entrance with an artistically embellished portrayal of ‘Nav Durga’ to give an enriched experience for devotees, hence aptly christened as ‘Nav Durga Path’.
After its commencement, entry and exit routes leading to the sanctum sanctorum have been separated to ensure systematic and smooth movement of the yatra.
The ‘skywalk’ was conceived after the stampede tragedy witnessed in the Bhawan complex on December 31, 2021 night, which left 12 persons dead and 16 others injured.
It would help in decongestion and better crowd management in the Bhawan.
Besides, President Murmu inaugurated the remodelled Parvati Bhawan, which includes 1500 digital lockers, a waiting lounge, washrooms and toilets for the devotees.
The aim of consolidating multiple facilities under one roof is to curtail the crisscross movement of devotees seeking locker facilities and bathing spaces in the Bhawan area and channelise the devotees towards the skywalk.
The retrofitted Parvati Bhawan is a free-of-cost facility that would facilitate around 10,000 yatris per day.
The inaugural ceremonies commenced with hawan and pooja rituals.
An official spokesperson said that the President complimented the efforts being initiated by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) under the chairmanship of LG Sinha towards facilitating the journey and holy darshan for the pilgrims.
While returning, the President also visited the Bhairon temple via passenger ropeway and paid obeisance.
Meanwhile, the LG, who is also the chairman of SMVDSB, apprised the President about the initiatives being taken by the shrine board for upgrading and expanding the infrastructure to facilitate yatris to the holy shrine.
“These initiatives are aimed at making the yatra more convenient and memorable for the yatris which is a testament to the dedication and commitment of the board,” he said.
After President Murmu visited the shrine at Katra in Reasi district, she returned to Jammu late Thursday afternoon and then straightway flew to the union capital, wrapping her maiden J&K visit as the first citizen of the country.