Katra, Sept 24 (KNN)   Manufacturers of agarbatti (incense stick) and other puja material have a weekly business opportunity between Rs 50 thousand and Rs 1 lakh aggregating to Rs 30 lakh-Rs 50 lakh per annum from the pilgrims who visit the holy shrine of Hindu Goddess Vaishno Devi, up in the hills, 62 kms from Jammu.

The management of the yatra and the governance and administration of the shrine is done by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, popularly called the Shrine Board. The Board was set up in August 1986 under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Act, 1988.  The main objective of the Act was to provide for better management and governance of the holy shrine.

With the ensuing Navratras and festive season, the number of pilgrims to the shrine is expected to grow. Consequently, the consumption of agarbatti, candles and other puja materials will also increase.

“The purchase is done on a weekly basis, and the amount of purchases done depends on the festival time as well.  The purchase of agarbatti, dori and candles varies from Rs 50, 000 – Rs 1,00,000,” said  an official from the purchase department of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Meanwhile, in this context, the board has made a business offering for micro and small enterprises for supply of agarbatti, black dori and candles for a period of one year.

The approximate consumption of agarbatti is of 30 lakh packets, each packet consisting of 8 sticks; 3,000 kg of black dori and 10,000 packets of candles, each packet consisting of 24 candles.

Prior to the takeover, the management and control of the Shrine was with a private trust called the Dharamarth Trust and a group of traditional local residents called Baridars.
The takeover was necessitated considering the poor state of affairs and the absence of facilities for the pilgrims. (KNN/SD)