The Vaishno Devi yatra is probably the most hallowed
pilgrimage of Northern India and attracts over five million devotees a
year. It entails a 13.5 km trek from Katra, which in turn is 50 km from
Jammu. All pilgrims are required to get passes at Katra for the yatra.
The best time to visit is between March and July. And the yatra season
is between March - April and September - October. People mostly go for
the yatra during these seasons. It is situated at an altitude of 1,700m.
The abode of the goddess is in the mountains of Trikuta Hills, in the
state of Jammu and Kashmir in north India. The Goddess resides in a
beautiful cave in the form of three 'Pindis' in the name of, "Maha
Kali", "Maha Laxmi" and "Maha Sarawati".
According to legends Goddess Durga has killed the demon Bhairon here.
The cave is situated at a height of 1,700m. The cave is 30m in length
and 1.5m in height.
To reach the Vaishno Devi temple you have to climb for four hours from
Katra. It is advisable to visit during March to July because the other
time of the year is too cold. The main time for pilgrimage is March to
April and September to October.
According to legends a Brahmin, pundit Sridhar about a thousand years
ago, discovered the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. The other Shrines
at Vaishno Devi are:
Bhumika Temple, which is about 1 km from Katra.
Ban Ganga Temple is about 3 km from Katra.
Charan Paduka Temple is about 1.5 km from Ban Ganga it is
situated at a height of 3,380 feet.
Ardh Kuwari is 4.5 km from Charan Paduka and 4,800 ft above sea
level.
The Sri Ram Temple is another holy shrine. It is near the
Vaishno Devi cave.
The Bhairav Temple is about 2.5 km from Vaishno Devi cave at an
altitude of 6,700 feet. It is a ritual to visit this temple after
visiting the Vaishno Devi Temple.
How to Go
To reach Vaishno Devi you can avail air or rail or road. If you go by
air then 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. If you travel by rail then the nearest
railway station is in Jammu, which is well connected to all the major
cities in India.
By road if you travel there are regular buses leaving for the 52 km
trip from the central bus stand in Jammu to where the road ends at
Katra. It is a bus journey of 2 hr. From Katra it is a steep 13-km walk.
It takes about 4 hours to climb up and 3 hours to come down.
