JAMMU, INDIA, December 27, 2006: A record 6.7 million pilgrims have visited the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir this year with nearly 25,000 devotees climbing the mountainous terrain every day despite snow, rains and sub-zero temperatures. “We have recorded the arrival of pilgrims at 6.7 million and with the rush increasing in the run up to New Year’s Eve, we hope to receive over 6.9 million people,” Puneet Kumar, additional chief executive officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, told IANS. The temple saw 6.5 million pilgrims in 2005.
The 13 km track from the base camp in Katra has now been made hassle-free and there are public utility services along the way. Availability of good accommodation and food at reasonable rates has also made the shrine popular.