International Museum of Goddess in Katra to become a reality soon

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is gearing up to establish the International Museum of the Goddess in Katra, with the preparation of a comprehensive concept note by a reputed international consultant. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Shrine Board, has announced that work on the museum will begin soon.

“An International consultant has already prepared the concept note of the Museum. They are expected to visit Katra soon before launching the project,” LG Sinha announced while addressing a gathering in Katra last month. Sharing his vision of the ambitious project, LG Sinha said, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board is working on an ambitious project. It is in the final stage now. Work on the International Museum of the Goddess is going to start soon, he added.

The Shrine Board authorities are expected to finalise the site of the project during the proposed visit of the consultants in the coming days. The ambitious facility aims to showcase the rich spiritual, cultural, and historical heritage associated with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. “Sinha said it is the first-of-its-kind museum dedicated exclusively to goddesses, and experts have been assigned to the project. I believe Katra, and indeed the entire nation, will take pride in this museum,” Sinha said. Katra houses the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in the Trikuta hills, where 80 to 90 lakh pilgrims visit annually from across the world to offer prayers.

According to Shrine Board officials, the museum will have replicas of Shakti Peeths as well as major temples dedicated to the devis.

They said the proposed museum at Katra will highlight the spiritual, cultural and historical heritage associated with Goddess Vaishno Devi and the region, and is expected to further strengthen Katra’s position as a major pilgrimage and tourism destination. The initiative aims to develop a global centre for research and knowledge related to the Devi traditions and Shakti worship.

“It will mark a major step towards preserving and showcasing the country’s rich spiritual and cultural legacy,” they said. The museum is envisioned as a world-class institution that will document legends, traditions, artefacts and historical narratives linked to the shrine and the wider region of Jammu and Kashmir, they said. It will also provide visitors with deeper insights into the evolution of faith, art and architecture connected with the pilgrimage.

The initiative is expected to further strengthen Katra’s identity as a global spiritual destination, attracting pilgrims, scholars and tourists from across India and abroad, officials said. The project is also expected to boost heritage tourism, generate employment opportunities and support the local economy, aligning with the LG’s broader vision of promoting cultural heritage, tourism development and sustainable growth in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

International consultant has already prepared the concept note of the museum. They are expected to visit Katra soon before launching the project— Manoj Sinha, LG