Work On Rs 300-Crore Vaishno Devi Ropeway From Katra Begins, Aiming To Cut Travel Time To Under An Hour

To enhance the pilgrimage experience to the Vaishno Devi shrine, a ropeway is being constructed between Katra town and Sanjichhat at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

This ropeway, expected to become operational by December 2026, aims to significantly reduce travel time, according to officials from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. The Shrine Board is overseen by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

The ropeway will cut the one-way journey time, currently 6-7 hours on foot, to under an hour. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board CEO Anshul Garg stated that the ropeway ride from Katra to Sanjichhat will take only six minutes, followed by a 30-45 minute walk to the shrine.

Capable of transporting 1,000 passengers per hour, the ropeway project is being executed under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model by Gurgaon-based G R Infrastructure Limited.

The company began work on the project last month after finalising an agreement with the Shrine Board earlier this year, Indian Express reported.

This year, over 86 lakh devotees have already visited the holy shrine, and the number is expected to surpass 1 crore. In comparison, more than 95 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine last year.

In recent times, the Shrine Board has introduced various amenities for pilgrims, such as a skywalk at Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan, upgraded community kitchens, and railway registration centers.

Additionally, a modern call center has been established in Katra, handling approximately 2,500 calls daily from pilgrims across India and abroad.