SRINAGAR: Pilgrim donations at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu and Kashmir have risen to Rs 171.90 crore in FY 2024-25 (till January), up from Rs 63.85 crore in 2020-21, according to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB).
As per media reports, Gold and silver offerings have also seen a sharp increase. Gold donations grew from 9.07 kg in 2020-21 to 27.71 kg in 2024-25 (till January), while silver offerings rose from 753.63 kg to 3,424.53 kg during the same period.
In response to an RTI filed by Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma, the shrine board provided donation figures for recent years: Rs 166.68 crore in 2021-22, Rs 223.12 crore in 2022-23, Rs 231.50 crore in 2023-24, and Rs 171.90 crore in 2024-25 (till January).
Pilgrim footfall at the shrine, which had dropped to a three-decade low of 17.20 lakh in 2020 due to COVID-19 closures, rebounded in subsequent years. Official data shows arrivals at 55.88 lakh in 2021, 91.25 lakh in 2022, 95.22 lakh in 2023, and 94.84 lakh in 2024.
