Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu
Jammu, Jun 24: At least 23 pilgrims were injured, including two critically, after a minibus carrying devotees to the revered Sukrala Mata Shrine veered off the road and plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Wednesday, officials said.
The accident occurred in the Simbli area near Billawar town when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle while travelling towards the hilltop shrine.
According to officials, the minibus was transporting devotees to the temple when it skidded off the road and fell into a gorge, leaving several passengers injured.
Rescue teams immediately launched an operation, and all the injured pilgrims were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Doctors said that two of the victims have sustained serious injuries, while the condition of the remaining passengers is being monitored.
“The rescue operation was jointly carried out by the police, civil administration and local residents, who rushed to the spot immediately after the accident,” officials said.
Police have registered the incident and initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.
The Sukrala Mata Shrine is a prominent Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Goddess Mal Devi, considered an incarnation of Sharda Devi. Located atop a 3,500-foot-high hill near Billawar in Kathua district, the temple attracts thousands of devotees every year, particularly during the Navratri festivals.
The deity is worshipped in the form of a sacred stone slab, or shila, placed on a brass lion. According to local belief, Sukrala Mata is regarded as the elder sister of Mata Vaishno Devi.
Folklore attributes the establishment of the shrine to Madho Singh, an exiled prince from Chamba in present-day Himachal Pradesh.
The temple is situated about 125 kilometres from Jammu city and approximately 75 kilometres from Kathua town. Devotees reach the shrine by climbing a long flight of steps from the base of the hill.
Major religious celebrations, including Chaitra Navratri and Sharad Navratri (Ashwin Navratri), draw large crowds to the temple each year, with devotees visiting to seek blessings and participate in special prayers.