Jammu: Practically three weeks after the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district was reopened for pilgrimage, the shrine board has elevated the quota for pilgrims from exterior the Union Territory to 500 every day.
“The pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine is continuing easily and choosing up tempo with every passing day. Protecting this in view, the quota of pilgrims from exterior Jammu and Kashmir has been enhanced to 500 per day, out of a ceiling of two,000 every day, until additional orders,” Ramesh Kumar, the Chief Govt Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, mentioned on Saturday.
The shrine atop the Trikuta hills was reopened on August 16 after a niche of almost 5 months because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cap of two,000 pilgrims every day, together with 100 from exterior Jammu and Kashmir, was imposed initially.
Ramesh Kumar mentioned the lodging supplied by the shrine board at Bhawan, Adhkuwari, Katra and Jammu have additionally been opened for the pilgrims, by following all prescribed normal working procedures (SoPs) due to the pandemic.
All different supplementary amenities for the consolation of pilgrims, corresponding to battery-operated automobiles, passenger ropeway and helicopter providers, are additionally working easily by strictly following the social distancing norms and different precautionary measures, Kumar mentioned.
“In addition to the meals stalls within the shrine space enroute to Bhawan, free group kitchen at Tarakote Marg and ‘prasad Kendra’ at Sanjichhat have additionally been operationalised by the board for the pilgrims,” he mentioned.
He mentioned on-line reserving for ‘Shradha Suman Vishesh Pooja’ has additionally commenced.
The pilgrims are allowed to undertake the pilgrimage after registration by way of on-line mode solely. This has been performed to keep away from meeting of individuals on the registration counters, officers mentioned.
In response to them, it is usually obligatory for the pilgrims to put on face masks and to endure thermal scanning on the entry factors.
Youngsters beneath the age of 10 years, pregnant girls, individuals with co-morbidities and people above 60 years have been suggested to keep away from endeavor the pilgrimage for his or her security from contracting the coronavirus an infection, the officers mentioned.
They mentioned COVID-19 check studies of pilgrims from exterior Jammu and Kashmir and people from ‘Crimson Zone’ districts of the Union Territory are being checked on the helipad and the ‘yatra’ entry factors of Darshani Deodi, Banganga and Katra.
Solely these with detrimental studies are allowed to maneuver past the entry factors, the officers mentioned.