Kishtwar, Aug 22: The revered shrine of Machail Mata nestled in mountains of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a historic milestone by recording the visit of one lakh pilgrims this year during ongoing annual yatra.
According official sources, the annual Machail Yatra commenced from August 1 this year today crossed one lakh mark as 17237 pilgrims including Males 7676, Female 6980, Children 2575 & Sadhu 06 offered obeisance at the Chandi Matta temple. "Only a day before record number of 22490 pilgrims visited the temple, sources said.
Sharing annual yatra statistics, a senior police official in Kishtwar, told 'Early Times' that in last 22 days 108720 yatries visited temple. Keeping in view of heavy rush of yatries, the number of yatries will cross 1.5 lakh in next few days before the Charri Mubarak of Matta Chandi will started return journey to Gulabgard on 25th of this month.
The yatra is scheduled to conclude on August 27 once the Holy Mace (Charri) will reach the abode of sacred deity popularly known as Mata Chandi temple at Chinote Bhaderwah. "We are very happy over the record pilgrimage," said police official adding," this is an indicator that yatra arrangements were upto the mark.'
Machail Yatra popularly known as Shri Chandi Mata Yatra is the 3rd biggest pilgrimage after Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and Amarnath Yatra in the Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile keeping in view of heavy rush of pilgrims, the district authorities and locals are enthusiastically managing affairs of the yatra to cate more devotees who are devotedly thronging to holy shrine. |
