Faith has moved mountains. From a cave shrine tucked away deep in the the Trikuta Mountains of Kashmir to a bustling religuous centre, the call of Mata Vaishno Devi has drawn and converted many a
non-believer. Those who come as tourists leave as staunch followers singing her praises. This is the ultimate refuge of the helpless. The one place that answers your prayers. Where all dilemas are resolved. So come with faith - that's all that is asked of you.
The abode of the Goddess Vaishno Devi is in the Moutains of Trikuta Hills, in the Jammu and Kashmir State of
Northern India. The Goddess resides in a beautiful cave in the form
of 3 'Pindis' namely, “Maha Kali”, “Maha Laxmi”
and “Maha Sarawati”. The Goddess Durga is said to have
killed the demon Bhairon here. Vaishno Devi is 61-km north of Jammu
and 14-km from Katra. The cave is at an elevation of 1,700m
(5,100ft) and is 30m (93 ft) long and just 1.5m (5ft) high.
Vaishno
Devi is a hard four-hour (13-km) climb from Katra. The best time to
come is March to July, as th rest of the time of the year it can be
very cold. The main pilgrimage time is March-April and
September-October. In 1986, 1.6 million people came here, or 15 to
20 thousand people a day. The cave ideally handles just 8 or 10
thousand people a day, as only 12 or 15 people are let into the cave
at a time. On the full moon day in Kartika (October/ November) the
line to get into the cave can be 4-km long. It is believed that the
arm of Goddess Sati fell at this place.
Shrines at
Vaishno Devi
- Bhumika Temple
- Ban Ganga Temple
- Charan Paduka Temple
- Ardh Kuwari
- The Bhairon (Bhairav) Temple
How to Reach
- Air
The nearest airport is in Jammu, which is
48-km from Katra. There is a helicopter service that departs
from the airport at Sanjhi Chat in Jammu in the morning.
- Rail
The nearest railway station is in Jammu,
which is well connected to all the major cities in India.
- Road
There are regular buses leaving for the
52-km trip from the central bus stand in Jammu to where the road
ends at Katra (2 hr). Walking From Katra it is a steep 13-km
walk. You can rent a horse or be carried up from Katra. You can
go up to the cave and back in the same day. It takes about 4
hours to climb up and 3 hours to come down. Pilgrims must get a
Yatra- Slip from the tourist reception center near the bus stand
in Katra to get pass Ban Ganga. It is Hard climb to Vaishno
Devi.
