Droupadi Murmu paid obeisance at Vaishno Devi shrine and inaugurated skywalk and remodelled Parvati Bhawan

President Droupadi Murmu, on Thursday, visited the Vaishno Devi temple, where she also dedicated a skywalk and refurbished Parvati Bhawan. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of Jammu & Kashmir escorted the President on a two-day visit to the state to inaugurate a number of cutting-edge pilgrim-focused amenities at the shrine.

At a cost of Rs 15.69 crore, the 250-meter skywalk was built in a record 14 months at an elevation of 20 feet above the current track. Its purpose is to address the issue of the chaotic and multidirectional flow of pilgrims between Manokamna Bhawan and Gate No-3, which was the scene of the stampede on New Year's Day in 2022 that resulted in 12 fatalities and 16 injuries. The Skywalk is dotted with contemporary amenities including LED displays, rest areas, two emergency exits, hardwood flooring, a waiting hall, and seats for around 150 pilgrims. To aid with crowd control and to ease the flow of pilgrims, the shrine's entry and leave pathways have been divided.

In addition, the President dedicated a renovated Parvati Bhawan that had 1,500 digital lockers, a waiting area, pilgrim restrooms, and washrooms. The goal of combining several services under one roof is to direct pilgrims away from the Bhawan area and towards the skywalk, where they may find lockers and places to bathe. In order to guarantee that pilgrims head straight to the shrine after checking their bags, it has been connected to the skywalk. Between 10,000 and 15,000 pilgrims a day will be able to enter the free Parvati Bhawan when it has been renovated.

The President praised the initiatives being carried out by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which is led by L-G Manoj Sinha. The President was informed by the L-G of the board's ideas for expanding and improving the infrastructure in the meanwhile. The goal of these programmes is to make pilgrims' yatra enjoyable and unforgettable. The President took a passenger ropeway to the Bhairon shrine on his way back.