Jammu, April 5 -- More than 2.15 lakh devotees paid obeisance at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra during the first five days of the ongoing Navratri festival, which began on March 30, officials said.

According to a senior official, the influx of pilgrims has been significant, with an average of 45,000 devotees visiting the sanctum sanctorum daily. On Saturday alone, the shrine recorded a footfall of over 48,000 pilgrims. "The number is likely to rise further as the festival progresses," the official added.

To ensure smooth and safe pilgrimage during the nine-day-long festival, security has been intensified across Katra and along the route to the shrine, located at an altitude of 5,200 feet. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, who also serv...