President Murmu visits Vaishno Devi; inaugurates skywalk, remodelled Parvati Bhawan

President Droupadi Murmu paid obeisance at the Vaishno Devi shrine on Thursday and inaugurated a skywalk and the remodelled Parvati Bhavan at the shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district, officials said.

The President, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the visit to the shrine. The CEO of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) Anshul Garg briefed Murmu about the projects.

The 200-metre skywalk will make the journey of pilgrims smooth as it will separate the path taken by them to the Bhawan and while returning after visiting the shrine, officials said. Completed at a cost of over Rs 9.89 crore, the facility, 20 feet above the track level, will help overcome the problem of a multidirectional flow of pilgrims and a chaotic condition between Manokamna Bhawan and Gate No-3, the scene of stampede on new year’s day in 2022 in which 12 people lost their lives and 16 were injured.

The skywalk was planned to decongest the flow of pilgrims and help in better crowd management at Bhawan during the peak periods, the officials said.

Parvati Bhawan has been fully remodelled at a cost of around Rs 15 crore and is a free-of-cost facility for the pilgrims. It has been linked with the skywalk to ensure that pilgrims proceed directly to the shrine after depositing their luggage. It has facilities of 1,500 lockers that cater to 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims every day, officials added.

Before heading for the Vaishno Devi shrine, President Murmu planted a pagoda sapling in the lawns of the Raj Bhawan auditorium in Jammu and Kashmir in the morning, officials said in Kashmir.