Third tunnel opens at Vaishno Devi shrine
By IANSWednesday, April 21, 2010
JAMMU - With the opening of a third tunnel, waiting time for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine has been further cut.
The tunnel is connected to the sanctum sanctorum of the cave shrine at a height of 5,200 feet above sea level.
On an average, the shrine attracts 25,000-30,000 pilgrims a day. This is one of the peak seasons for the pilgrims. And the rush is expected to rise further. Last year, the shrine got eight million pilgrims.
“We are expecting the number of pilgrims to touch 10 million in the next couple of years,” Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister Rigzin Jora told IANS Wednesday.
The construction of the tunnel started two years ago and was completed in March this year.
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