Embark On A Spiritual Quest: The Pilgrim Experience At Vaishno Devi Shrine

Abstract

The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is a highly venerated Hindu deity which is an embodiment of Shakti, the divine feminine force. The intent of this study is to investigate the pilgrims’ experiences at the revered temple of Mata Vaishno Devi, as well as explore the moderating effect of gender on the pilgrim experience and the revisit intention. A mixed-methods approach was employed to collect data, blending narrative inquiry with a reflective feedback method. Additionally, narrative inquiry enabled the capture of pilgrims’ personal stories and experiences in depth, while reflective feedback allowed participants to review and contextualise their own responses. This combination allowed the study to balance qualitative richness with quantitative breadth. This study breaks new ground by combining narrative inquiry which delves into personal spiritual journeys and reflective feedback methodology, the research offers a methodologically innovative blend that moves beyond typical survey-based pilgrimage studies. This study underlines how digital tools RFID-based yatra cards, IoT-enabled monitoring, ERP integration and the AI chatbot “Shakti”create responsive, pilgrim-centric systems that boost efficiency and support real-time feedback.