Vaishno Devi

The Vaishno Devi shrine is perched in the Trikuta Mountain, at a height of 5200 feet above the sea level. It is a cave in the lower Himalaya. Katra, the town located 48 kms from Jammu at the foot of the Trikuta Hills, is the base camp for theVaishno Devi shrine.

Significance

The holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is the place where we find a unique synthesis of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, representing Tama Guna, Raj Guna and Satva Guna. Vaishno Mata gives strength to Her devotees to fight the forces of darkness (Tama Guna); blesses them with wealth and prosperity (Raj Guna) and intellectual power (Satva Guna) that help them to choose the path of righteousness. One can strike a balance of these three attributes in oneself with the divine blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Legend

A childless priest named Shridhar regularly performed “Kanya Puja” or worship of little girls. One day, while performing the daily “Kanya Puja”, Shridhar spotted a beautiful girl in the group of the little girls. Impressed by her divine beauty, Shridhar worshipped her by washing her feet. The girl requested Shridhar to arrange a feast and invite all the villagers to it.

A poor Brahmin as he was, Shridhar expressed his inability to feed the entire village. But the little girl told him not to worry about that and disappeared.

Vaishnavi, in the form of the young girl, came to the feast with a pot and served food from it to all the invitees according to their choices. Bhairon Nath, the chief disciple of Guru Gorakh Nath, who was present at the feast, decided to test the power of Vaishnavi by asking her to serve meat and wine to him. But Vaishnavi said that she would serve only vegetarian food. An angry Bhairon Nath tried to grab Vaishnavi’s hand but Vaishnavi managed to protect herself and rushed out of the spot.

After passing through many places in disguise, Vaishnavi took shelter in Adhkuwari, a 15–foot long cave. Bhairon Nath also followed her with his special tantrik power and reached the cave. Vaishnavi made an opening at the farthest end of the cave and fled through it. Bhairon too chased her through the new opening. This was too much for Vaishnavi to tolerate. As the last resort, she took the form of Mata Kali and cut off the head of Bhairon Nath. After his death, however, Bhairon realized his blunder and prayed to Vaishnavi or Mata Vaishno Devi for mercy. The Mata granted his prayer and said that a temple would be built at the spot where his head fell and all devotees coming to her shrine will also pray at the temple, without which their ‘yatra’ will not be complete.

It is believed that after killing Bhairon Nath, Mata Vaishno took the form of a rock and went into eternal meditation. She appeared in Shridhar’s dream and showed him the route of the Holy Cave. Shridhar accordingly reached the Holy Cave and started regular puja of Mata Vaishno Devi at the cave. Later, he was blessed with four sons.

Another legend has it that when Rama was in exile with Sita and Lakshman, Mata Vaishno Devi came across him. Rama told her to build an Ashram at the base of the Trikuta hills and attain a higher level of spirituality through prayer and meditation. While Vaishno Devi was following Rama’s advice, Bhairon Nath’s eye fell on her and he proposed to her for marriage. After refusing him several times, Vaishno Devi was compelled to behead him.

How to reach

Vaishno Devi is situated 14 km from Katra, a small town located 52 km north of Jammu. It takes about 2 hours to reach Katra by bus from Jammu. Ordinary buses, luxury buses run both b the State Transport Corporation and private operators connect Jammu with the north Indian cities and towns. Besides, private taxis ply between Jammu and Katra.

The nearest airport is Jammu which is 48km away from Katra. Regular flights to Jammu are available from important places. Flights from Leh are available twice a week to Jammu. A helicopter service is also provided to the pilgrims from the airport at Sanjhi Chat in the morning.

The nearest railway station is Jammu which is connected to the important cities of India including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bhopal, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The railway authorities run special trains during the peak seasons to cope with the rush of the pilgrims.

However, from Katra, tourists have to walk 13 km to the cave. They can ride on horse or be carried up to the cave. On an average, the steep climb takes 4 hours to reach the sacred place and the tourists can come back on the same day. They have to collect Yatra Slips from the tourist reception centre in Katra.

Best time to visit

Except winter, Vaishno Devi can be visited round the year. However, the climate in the region is ideal for pilgrimage in October and February.

Where to stay

Excellent accommodation, starting from dormitory to double-bed AC suite, is provided by Yatri Niwas located near the railway station in Jammu. The Niwas is run by the Sri mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

At Katra, the tourists can stay in guesthouses run by the Shrine Board. Here also all types of accommodations are available to the tourists. Besides the above, tourists can opt for expensive private hotels offering excellent food and lodging facilities.

Places to visit

Bhumika Temple

Vaishna Devi disappeared at Darshani Darwaza from where Trikut Hills are clearly visible. Trikut Hills have three peaks which are believed to be the residences of the Goddess.

Ban Ganga Temple

After leaving Bhumika Temple, the Goddess passed through this place before going to the Trikuta Hills. At this time, Langoor Vir, the companion of the Goddess, felt thirsty. The Goddess shot an arrow into a stone and water gushed out of it. It subsequently became a holy river named Ban Ganga. A large number of devotees take a holy bath in this river.

Charan Paduka Temple

Chranpaduka means footprints. When Bhairon Nath was chasing Vaishno Devi, she stopped at this place for sometime. There is a stone on which footprints, believed to be that of the Goddess, are clearly visible. It is located about 1.5 km from Ban Ganga.

Ardh Kunwari

Ardh Kuwani is known for the 15-foot long cave called Garbha Joon where Vaishno Mata lived secretly to save herself from Bhairon Nath. The cave is so narrow that the pilgrims have to virtually crawl through it. There is an opening at the end of the cave which Vaishno Devi had made with Her trident to flee and save herself from the wrath of Bhairon.

Pilgrims have to undertake a 2.5 km strenuous journey after Ardh Kuwari. The path is very steep. On this stretch, the mountain looks like the forehead of an elephant, which is why the ascent is called Hathi Matha ascent.

The Sri Ram Temple

The Sri Ram Temple is located near Vaishno Devi cave. A Shiva Linga is placed in a cave 125 steps beneath the Ram Temple.

The Bhairon (Bhairav) Temple

Located 2.5 km from Vaishno Devi Cave, this temple is visited by the pilgrims after visiting the Vaishno Devi cave. When the Goddess beheaded Bhairon with tremendous force, his head fell on this place. There is a huge stone outside the cave which is believed to be the petrified torso of Bhairon. According to legend, the Vaishno Devi Temple Yatra remains incomplete if this temple is not visited. The desires of Vaishno Devi’s devotees get fulfilled after the visit to this temple.