The pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra in Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a big boon for the local economy, generating almost Rs 475 crore.
KATRA: The pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi at Katra in Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as a big boon for the local economy, generating almost Rs 475 crore every year and providing employment to 27,000 people.
Devotees flocking to the shrine on Trikuta Hills generate revenues of Rs 474.36 crore per annum for Katra and provide employment to thousands, according to a study conducted by S K Jain, principal investigator in the department of management studies in IIT-Delhi.
The draft report, compiled over three years, was submitted to Governor Lt Gen (retired) S K Sinha during a meeting of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board here yesterday.
The revenues exclude donations received by the Board and money spent by devotees in Jammu, Patnitop or the Kashmir region.
The study was conducted to analyse the impact of the pilgrimage on the economy of Jammu and Kashmir with a special focus on Katra.
Of the money injected into Katra's economy, commercial establishments accounted for Rs 283.66 crore, followed by the hospitality sector comprising hotels and lodgings (Rs 72.15 crore), transport (Rs 69.23 crore), ponywallas (Rs 33.15 crore) and 'pithoos' (Rs 16.15 crore).
Commercial establishments created 7,781 jobs, while the hospitality sector generated another 4,950 and the transport sector around 1,500. The pithoos number 8,000 and ponywallas number 4,747.
According to the study, pilgrims prefer to throng the shrine in groups. Over 60 per cent of them came in groups of two to five. The average duration of the stay for 46.4 per cent was one to two days, whereas 36.4 per cent stayed for up to four days.
More than 50 per cent stayed in hotels. About 65 per cent preferred to visit the shrine during March to June. Over 75 per cent visited during either the winter or summer vacations.
The yatra also benefited the tourism industry in Jammu and Patnitop as about 40 per cent of the pilgrims visited Jammu and around 30 per cent visited Patnitop after or before paying obeisance at the shrine.
As for the mode of transportation, about 42 per cent of pilgrims travelled by train, 34 per cent by bus and 15 per cent came in their own vehicles.
Similarly, eight per cent travelled on pony, three per cent used pithoos and one per cent used palanquins while going up and coming down from the shrine.
The governor, who is also the chairman of the shrine board, said the study would be a useful for framing strategies to make improvements in infrastructure to cater to the growing number of pilgrims.
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