President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate two important projects at Vaishno Devi Bhawan today

The President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate two important projects at the Vaishno Devi Bhawan in the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district today, besides performing darshan at the cave shrine. President Murmu will fly to VIP helipad near Vaishno Devi Bhawan and will offer prayers to the Goddess. She will be accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

 

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate Skywalk and re-modelled Parvati Bhawan, two very prestigious projects of the Shrine Board which have been constructed at the Bhawan. The Skywalk will make journey of pilgrims very smooth as the pilgrim's proceedings to the Bhawan and returning after darshan will have separate routes, thus, avoiding any kind of collision which was reported to be responsible for December 31, 2021, tragedy which 12 pilgrims were killed and 16 others were injured in stampede. 

The Skywalk proposal was conceived after the tragedy as it will bifurcate incoming and outgoing pilgrims at the Bhawan and the yatris will proceed to the Bhawan from Skywalk and return from the existing route. The Skywalk is equipped with most modernized facilities. 

President Murmu will also inaugurate Parvati Bhawan which has facilities of



1500 lockers that help nearly 10 to 15 thousand pilgrims every day to deposit their luggage, take bath, and proceed to the cave shrine through Skywalk and return and one floor each exclusively for men and women washrooms. The Skywalk will be a 2.5-metre-wide pedestrian flyover at an elevation of 20 feet above the existing track and will include waiting halls, toilets, and emergency exits.

However, the Parvati Bhawan, constructed at a cost of around Rs. 15 crore, is a free-of-cost facility for the pilgrims has been linked with Skywalk to ensure that the pilgrims proceed directly to the shrine after depositing their luggage and having bath which will avoid congestion in other areas of the Bhawan premises. 

The President is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir as first citizen, she will return to New Delhi after inauguration of projects and paying obeisance to the Goddess. Worth mentioning, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board will shortly start helicopter services for the pilgrims from Jammu to Sanji Chat. By the end of September, 73 lakh devotees had visited the shrine, and the number after several years is again expected to touch 10 million mark.