Katra, March 22 -- A massive rush of devotees is being witnessed at Katra, the base camp of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, as over 30,000 pilgrims have departed for their onwards journey to the holy cave on Sunday.

The surge in footfall comes in the wake of the ongoing Chaitra Navratri festival, hence drawing thousands of devotees from across the country to seek the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji.

Sanjeev Kumar, a devotee from Haryana, praised the elaborate decorations at the shrine and expressed that praying to the deity, a manifestation of Goddess Mahakali, provides him with immense peace.

"I have come to watch the decoration of Mata Vaishno Devi. We come every year, by praying to Mata Vaishnodevi, we get peace," Kumar told AN...