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Special coins on J-K shrine board silver jubilee released
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 31
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today released commemorative coins specially designed by the Reserve Bank of India to mark the silver jubilee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) in New Delhi.

Governor of Jammu and Kashmir NN Vohra, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah, Dr Karan Singh, president, ICCR, and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar were also present on the occasion.

Two coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination, with the embossing of the form of goddess Vaishno Devi, were released by the Prime Minister. Goddess Vaishno Devi is believed to be the eldest deity among the six other Devis whose shrines lie between the Yamuna and the Chenab rivers in north India.

During its 51st meeting of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on December 28 last, it was informed that to mark the silver jubilee, the Government of India’s approval had been secured for the minting of non-circulation commemorative coins, besides two billion circulation coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination.

The pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Trikuta Hills set a new milestone with a record number of 1,05,57,925 pilgrims visiting the cave shrine in 2012. In 2011, 1,01,15,647 pilgrims paid obeisance at the cave shrine.

While 87.49 lakh pilgrims had visited the cave shrine in 2010, 82.35 lakh devotees came in 2009.