Dharamshala, Oct. 21 -- More than 10.25 lakh devotees visited seven prominent 'Shakti Peeths' and temples across Himachal Pradesh during Ashwin Navratri from 11 to 19 October, 2026, officials said. According to information, during the nine-day festivities, 10,25,726 pilgrims and 1,04,520 vehicles were recorded at the seven major temples. Shri Naina Devi witnessed the highest footfall of 3,95,226 devotees, followed by Shri Jawalamukhi (1,80,000), Shri Chintpurni (1,39,000), Shri Bala Sundri, Trilokpur (1,06,600), Shri Chamunda Devi (70,500), Shri Brijeshwari Devi (69,400) and Shri Baglamukhi (65,000). Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday congratulated state police for ensuring safe, peaceful and smooth darshan for the devotees. Appreciating the dedication and professionalism of police personnel, the CM observed that ensuring the safety and convenience of lakhs of pilgrims visiting Himachal Pradesh's sacred shrines is an important responsibility of the state government. Managing such an enormous influx of devotees, particularly at temples situated in hilly terrain with narrow approach roads and limited parking facilities, required meticulous planning and continuous supervision. "Himachal Pradesh Police made elaborate arrangements for crowd management, traffic regulation, parking, queue management and public safety, enabling devotees to undertake their pilgrimage peacefully and conveniently," officials said. Director general of police, Himachal Pradesh, Ashok Tewari, IPS, commended the concerned district police chiefs, supervisory officers and personnel deployed during Navratri and reiterated the commitment of Himachal Pradesh Police to ensuring the safety and convenience of every pilgrim and tourist visiting the state. The nine-day-long Shat Chandi Maha Yagya, organised by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) during the occasion of Shardiya Navratri festival concluded on Mahanavami at the holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra. The Purnahuti ceremony was performed amidst the chanting of vedic mantras, invoking divine blessings for universal peace, prosperity and the well-being of all. Sachin Kumar Vaishya, chief executive officer, SMVDSB, along with senior officers and staff of the shrine board besides, a large number of pilgrims participated in the concluding rituals. The Maha Yagya was performed by a group of learned pandits led by padma shri Vishwamurti Shastri, lending spiritual sanctity and significance to the sacred occasion. An average of over 40,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy shrine daily during the Navratri, taking the cumulative number of pilgrims to over four lakh since the commencement of the nine day long festival. This marks a significant increase over the approximately 1.78 lakh pilgrims who visited the holy shrine during the corresponding period of last year's Shardiya Navratri festival reflecting the growing enthusiasm and devotion among pilgrims, according to officials. To facilitate a smooth, safe and spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage, the shrine board had put in place elaborate arrangements for the convenience of devotees. Dedicated help desks were established at key locations along the track to provide guidance and assistance. A significant addition to the pilgrim infrastructure this year was the new Vaishnavi Bhawan at Bhawan, inaugurated in May 2026 by LG Manoj Sinha, who is also the chairman of SMVDSB. The facility has augmented accommodation capacity at Bhawan while further enhancing the range and quality of amenities available to pilgrims. Designed to provide a modern, comfortable and efficient environment, the facility represents an important step towards strengthening pilgrimage infrastructure in response to the growing number of devotees....