Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu witnessed a rush of devotees on Saturday ahead of New Year. Devotees from various parts of the country including children were seen uttering the slogan, 'Jai Mata Di' and making their way up and down the hill amidst severe cold conditions. Some of the devotees also shared their experience and mentioned how coming to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine every new year's eve gave them a feeling of being blessed.
The Jammu and Kashmir police conducted an inspection of the shrine premises earlier this month. Deputy Inspector General of Udhampur-Reasi Range Mohammad Suleman Choudhary held a meeting to discuss the security situation. The meeting was attended by Senior Superintendent of Police, Reasi Amit Gupta, CRPF Commandant and Superintendent of Police in Katra.
"The shrine is ready to meet the heavy rush of devotees around New Year. A strategy has been chalked out to ensure smooth regulation of expected influx of pilgrims, decongestion of entire track, particularly the Bhawan area, and all-time surveillance through CCTV dedicated network of over 500 cameras," a shrine board official had said earlier.
Stampede in Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine
The review of the security arrangements comes in the backdrop of the loss of lives in a stampede in Vaishno Devi shrine on January 1 this year. 12 pilgrims lost their lives and 16 were injured in the stampede which prompted the shrine board to introduce Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for the convenience of the pilgrims.
ALSO READ | J&K: Day after stampede, devotees follow 'stricter' guidelines at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine
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