Katra: The nine-day Navratri festival kicked off on Thursday at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine in the Trikuta Hills, filled with religious enthusiasm and celebrations. By 5 p.m., approximately 33,000 pilgrims had arrived in Katra to continue their journey to the shrine.
To enhance the pilgrimage experience, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) introduced a free langar sewa (community kitchen) at the Ardhkuwari complex on the auspicious day of Shardiya Navratri, coinciding with the commencement of the Shatchandi Yagya at the shrine. T
his initiative was inaugurated by Anshul Garg, the shrine board’s chief executive officer, under the guidance of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
This new langar sewa is the Board’s fourth initiative, adding to the existing kitchens at Tarakote Marg, Sanjichhat, and Bhairon Ji. These facilities have been well-received by devotees, offering nourishing meals as prasad and aiming to provide complimentary meals to a large number of pilgrims visiting the sacred site, officials said.
