40 lakh devotees visit flock to UP temples in first 4 days of Navratri

Lucknow, Sep 26 (PTI) An estimated 40 lakh devotees visited hundreds of Durga temples across Uttar Pradesh in the first four days of Navratri, spanning from the Vindhyavasini temple in the east to the Shakambhari Devi Dham in the west, officials said on Friday.

The surge in attendance has been largely attributed to the state government's efforts in the past eight years to preserve ancient heritage, while also enhancing it with modern amenities to create a new pilgrimage experience, an official statement said.

The number is projected to cross 1 crore on the final three days of Navratri – Saptami, Ashtami and Navami.

Since the beginning of the festival on September 22, the Maa Vindhyavasini Dham in Mirzapur has welcomed 12 lakh pilgrims, with 3.5 to 4 lakh devotees visiting daily, marking a massive increase from ordinary days, the statement said.

The construction of the Vindhyachal Corridor has improved pilgrim facilities, with the authorities anticipating a peak of 6-7 lakh devotees per day during the final three days of Navratri.

In Varanasi, the Maa Vishalakshi Devi temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, witnessed a rise in daily footfall from 5,000-7,000 to 8,000-10,000 during Navratri, with the numbers expected to rise to 20,000-30,000 daily during the final three days.

The shrine draws a large number of devotees from south India.

The state government has proposed a Vishalakshi Corridor to further facilitate ‘darshan’ at the temple.

The other shrines in Varanasi, such as the Gayatri Shakti Peeth Choura Devi temple and the Maa Kushmanda temple, are also reporting large crowds, expecting 40,000-50,000 and 15,000-20,000 pilgrims on Navami, respectively, the statement said.

In western Uttar Pradesh, the Shakambhari Devi Shakti Peeth in Saharanpur has drawn 50,000 devotees daily, while the Tripur Bala Sundari temple has witnessed a daily footfall of 40,000, with both expecting up to 1 lakh devotees per day on the last three days of Navratri, the statement said.

Similarly, the Maa Pateshwari Devi temple in Balrampur is witnessing 50,000 daily visitors, and the figures are expected to rise to 1-1.5 lakh per day on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, it added.

The Maa Alopi Shankari Shakti Peeth in Prayagraj is receiving more than 1.25 lakh devotees daily, and the numbers are expected to go up to 2-2.5 lakh per day during the final three days.

Similarly, the Maa Kalyani Devi temple and the Maa Lalita Devi temple in Prayagraj are drawing 70,000-80,000 pilgrims each on a daily basis, the statement said.

The state government's investment of more than Rs 6 crore in amenities – pilgrim shelters, drinking water, entrance gates, beautification, and facade lighting – has directly contributed to the increase in pilgrim numbers, it said.

In Gorakhpur, the tourism development’s investments totalling Rs 2.13 crore helped renovate the Tarkulha Devi temple in Chauri Chaura, transforming it into a major pilgrimage centre, with an average of 50,000 daily visitors and over 1 lakh expected on Navami.

The Budhiya Mai temple in Gorakhpur is also witnessing a surge in rush, expecting 1 lakh devotees daily on the final three days of Navratri, with the significant jump attributed to a Rs 1.6 crore development project, the statement said.

The other major sites, including the Chowkiya Mai Dham in Jaunpur, are reporting 70,000 daily visitors, and the numbers are expected to hit 1 lakh on the peak days.

The various temples in Agra district are collectively expecting more than 30 lakh pilgrims during Navratri, the statement said.

Even the smaller temples in Auraiya and Hapur districts are witnessing increased pilgrim footfall, it said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has designated the Navratri as a celebration of women's safety and empowerment.

Under 'Mission Shakti 5.0', female police personnel organised Scooty rallies across the state, while girl students were symbolically placed in administrative roles for a day. PTI CDN ANM ARI