Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra Goes Online

KL Report

KATRA 

In its endeavor to improve the process of the registration for the pilgrims visiting the Holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, the Shrine Board today launched the facility of Online Registration for undertaking the Yatra.

Speaking on this occasion, Navin K Choudhary, IAS, Chief Executive Officer, SMVDSB informed that online registration for procuring a Yatra Slip is a part of ongoing efforts of the Board to facilitate the pilgrims by using Information Technology and to progressively improve the existing procedures, apart from enhancing the accessibility of the services to the Yatris who come from all over the country and abroad.

As per a statement this initiative is a part of several steps which are in the process of being undertaken for facilitating the pilgrims, using Information Technology, under the directions of NN Vohra, Governor of J&K, who is the Chairman of the Shrine Board.

Choudhary has further informed that this service shall be available totally free of cost and any person planning to visit the Holy Shrine can, sitting at home, online book his Yatra Permit for entering the Yatra track on a chosen day, as early as 30 days in advance of commencing his pilgrimage. The pilgrim can even book online on the very day of his pilgrimage. Once a pilgrim books online, he will get a printed Registration Slip which he would need to carry with him on his pilgrimage.

Each Yatra Registration Slip will have a specific number and a bar-code. Thus, every pilgrim carrying such a slip can start his journey to Holy Shrine from Banganga without having to stand in a queue in front of a Yatra Registration Counter, at Jammu or Katra.

The CEO has informed that the Registration Slip shall be checked by the Shrine Board staff at the Banganga Entry Gate, and for this purpose the pilgrim shall need to carry his Identification Card, for cross verification and security purposes. The CEO added that current Yatra Registration can also be done at Airport Jammu; Vaishnavi Dham & Sarasvati Dham, Jammu; and at the Yatra Registration Counters No. 1 and 2 at Katra. He has shared that this initiative is expected to provide very significant convenience and comfort to the pilgrims who, at times, had to wait for long hours in the queue system for getting Registration Slips at Katra.