Katra is the base camp for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage. The Mata Vaishnodevi pilgrimage yearly attracts about 10 million pilgrims although, thus far, the only access to Katra was through National Highway 1-A. Pilgrims from Kerala, Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal and other parts of the country come to the shrine on a regular basis, says an official of the Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board.