Vaishno Devi(File Photo)
Vaishno Devi: Navratri preparations are going on in full swing in Katra located in Jammu and Kashmir and this time Navratri festival is going to be very grand. The temple of Vaishno Devi, situated on the Trikuta hills of Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, is ready to welcome the devotees on Navratri starting from Monday. Officials said that during Navratri, about three lakh devotees from all over the country and abroad are expected to reach Vaishno Devi shrine, in such a situation, Shri Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is making necessary preparations from security to this crowd.
The Board Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had launched the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for the pilgrims on August 31. RFID is one of the many projects sanctioned for the convenience of devotees after the stampede at Vaishno Devi on New Year’s Eve. In the said stampede, 12 people were killed while 16 others were injured.
RFID Card System Essentials
Anshul Garg, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said, “We have set up two control rooms and a total of 120 CCTV cameras have been installed on the way to the building to control the crowd. The RFID card system is mandatory for the devotees and this will help in controlling the crowd and keeping a watch on the devotees in real time. .
This new initiative of Shrine Board
Board’s Chief Executive Officer Anshul Garg said that free of cost horse and battery car service will be provided to the differently-abled devotees to reach the building. He said, “This is a new initiative by the Shrine Board and we have set up a help desk to help people with special needs. They will be given priority for darshan in the building.