Jammu: A unique museum dedicated exclusively to goddesses, showcasing replicas and representations of major devi pilgrimage sites from across the country, is proposed to be established at Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said experts have already been engaged for the project and expressed confidence that work would commence soon. “The country’s first International Museum of Goddess is set to come up in Katra. I am confident that Katra, and the nation as a whole, will take pride in this initiative,” he said.
Katra hosts the revered cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta hills, which draws nearly 80 to 90 lakh pilgrims every year from India and abroad.
Officials said the museum will feature replicas of Shakti Peeths and prominent temples dedicated to various devis. It will showcase the spiritual, cultural and historical significance of Goddess Vaishno Devi and the region, further reinforcing Katra’s status as a major pilgrimage and tourism hub.
The project aims to develop a global centre for research and learning on Devi traditions and Shakti worship, contributing significantly to the preservation and promotion of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Designed as a world-class institution, the museum will document legends, traditions, artefacts and historical accounts associated with the shrine and the wider Jammu and Kashmir region. Visitors will also gain deeper insights into the evolution of faith, art and architecture linked to the pilgrimage.
According to officials, the initiative is expected to strengthen Katra’s identity as an international spiritual destination, attract pilgrims, scholars and tourists, boost heritage tourism, create employment opportunities and support the local economy, in line with the broader vision of cultural preservation, tourism development and sustainable growth in Jammu and Kashmir.