President Murmu inaugurates Skywalk, remodelled Parvati Bhawan at Vaishno Devi shrine

Srinagar, Oct 12: President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated a skywalk and the remodelled Parvati Bhavan at the Vaishno Devi shrine in the Reasi district of Jammu on Thursday.

She also paid obeisance at the Shrine on the second day of her two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The President was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha.

The 200-meter skywalk, situated 20 feet above the track level, has been completed at a cost of Rs 9.89 crore to enhance the pilgrimage experience. It separates the path taken by pilgrims to the Bhawan and the return route after visiting the shrine, officials said.

Officials added that the skywalk will help lessen the problem of multidirectional pilgrim flow and smoothen flow of pilgrims between Manokamna Bhawan and Gate No-3. It will also assist in decongesting the flow of pilgrims and improving crowd management at Bhawan during peak periods.

Notably, the scene of the stampede on New Year’s Day in 2022, in which 12 people lost their lives and 16 were injured happened between Manokamna Bhawan and Gate No-3.

Parvati Bhawan, also inaugurated by the President, has been fully remodelled at a cost of approximately Rs 15 crore and will provide a free-of-cost facility for pilgrims.

Parvati Bhawan is linked with the skywalk for the convenience of pilgrims, enabling them to proceed directly to the shrine after depositing their luggage. The facility offers 1,500 lockers to accommodate 10,000 to 15,000 pilgrims every day.