Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday inaugurated an online booking facility for the passenger ropeway from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan to the Bhairon Ji Temple for the convenience of the visiting pilgrims, officials said.?

An official spokesman said that the inauguration of the online booking facility for the passenger ropeway was conducted at the Raj Bhavan here this evening.

The event was attended among others by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Chief Executive Officer Anshul Garg, the board members and Padma Shri Professor Vishwamurti Shastri, he added.

The spokesman said the lieutenant governor reiterated the shrine board's commitment to provide better facilities and modern amenities to make the pilgrimage convenient and hassle-free.

The passenger ropeway tickets, which were earlier available only offline at the counters on first come first serve basis, are now available through online portal www.maavaishnodevi.org, he added.

The spokesman said the online ceiling initially is Rs 2,000 tickets per day for the pilgrims and will be scaled up gradually in the coming months.

The shrine board's initiative will not only facilitate the pilgrims but also reduce annual expenditure of the board, he added.

The spokesman said the Bhawan-Bhairon passenger ropeway has a carrying capacity of 800 persons per hour which remains operational for eight to ten hours in a day.

The lieutenant governor also congratulated renowned Para-Archer Rakesh Kumar on his appointment as an assistant coach in the Shrine Board Sports Complex and handed over the appointment letter to him.

He said Kumar's remarkable performance in the international events is a source of inspiration for many aspiring athletes.

Sinha as well released the Panchang Calendar 2024 and the diary of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Garg on his part briefed the lieutenant governor on the action taken report on the board's recent decision, including construction of new Vaishnavi Bhawan, the establishment of a medical college at Kakryal, the passenger ropeway from Tarakote to Sanhjichhat, the widening of track from Sanjhichhat to Bhawan and a new langar facility at Bhairon Ji.

-With PTI Input