Vaishno Devi- A Religious Place to Visit

Hello friends,
Jai Mata Di!!

For a change let me take you all to religious places in India. The place today we shall know about is Vaishno Devi. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is considered to fulfill anything and everything that a person wishes for in life, in a righteous way. It is an experience of all, that no one goes empty handed from Her Great Pilgrimage.The culmination of this journey is at the Holy Cave where She merged Her Human form with the astral form of Her creators, the three Supreme Energies. The holy cave shrine of Vaishno-Devi is situated in a beautiful recess of the Trikuta Mountains forming a part of the lower Himalayas as in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There are images of three deities viz, the Mahakali, Maha-Lakshmi and Maha-Saraswati.

Whats This? Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji resides in a Holy Cave located in the folds of the three peaked mountain named Trikuta (pronounced as Trikoot). The Holy Cave attracts lakhs of devotees every year. In fact, the number of Yatris visiting the Holy Shrine annually now exceeds 5 million. This is due to the unflinching faith of the devotees who throng the Shrine from all parts of India and abroad.Darshans (to view the deity) are open round the clock throughout the year.

Located Where? Katra is 50 kms from Jammu. This small town serves as the base camp for visiting the famous shrine of Vaishnodeviji in the Trikuta Hills. The shrine is approachable on foot along a 12 kms long well laid foot-path. Every year, nearly 4 million pilgrims pass through Katra on their way to Vaishnodeviji. Accomodation is available in Tourist Bungalows, Yatrika and a number of private hotels, beside pilgrims ''sarais'. The Holy Cave of the Mother is situated at an altitude of 5200 ft. The Yatris have to undertake a trek of nearly 12 km from the base camp at Katra. Katra town is located at an altitude of nearly 2500 ft above sea level while the sanctum sanctorum is located at nearly 5200 ft. above sea level. There is obviously a significant temperature difference between the two locations.

How do we Reach There? In order to visit the Holy Shrine of Vaishno Devi, one has to reach Katra, a small town situated around 50 kms. from Jammu, the winter capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Katra serves as the base camp for the yatra. Katra is well connected to Jammu and Jammu, in turn, is well connected to the rest of the country by Air, Rail, and Road. Jammu is well connected to the rest of India by air, rail & roads. Many superfast trains ply on the route and one can reach Jammu overnight from New Delhi. Passengers using Air or Rail as a mode of travel have necessarily to break their journey at Jammu and from thereon select an alternative mode of transport. However for passengers traveling by road, either through public or own transport, there is an option of taking a by-pass from Kunjwani, nearly 10 kms. off Jammu and heading straight for the base camp i.e Katra.

Best time to visit: The Yatra to the Holy Shrine is open throughout the year. The summer months of May, June and July and the festival period of Chaitra (spring) and Sharad-Ashwin (Autumn) Navratras and New Year vacations witness peak rush.Devotees have to often wait for 12-20 hours before having Darshan (to see the deity) during this time. Instead the monsoons and winters are good periods to plan a yatra. The winter months of December and January witness snow fall.

Clothing & Accessories: One needs to carry heavy woollen clothing during the winters. For the rest of the year, light woollens are needed. Even during hot summers, Katra turns hot and humid, the main Shrine area, known as Bhawan continues to remain on the cooler side especially in the nights. Blankets are available a plenty free of cost and there is no need to carry them. One may also need canvas shoes for the Yatra. For those going on foot, a walking stick is very helpful in negotiating the steep climbs. Umbrellas and rain coats are required during the rainy seasons. Shoes, cameras, walking sticks, torches, head bands, umbrellas and many more such articles for which a person may not be prepared beforehand are readily available on hire at various private shops all over Katra and also on the way to Holy Shrine. Rates as usual are negotiable.

Major Attractions:

Around Jammu you can visit the
Raghunath Temple: which is situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by a group of other temples, this temple dedicated to Lord Rama is outstanding and unique in Northern India.The inner walls of the main temple are covered with gold sheet on three sides.

Ranbireshwar Temple: Located on the Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat, and built by Maharaja Ranbir Singh in1883 AD, Ranbireshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has one central 'Lingam' measuring seven and a half feet height (7.5 ft.) and twelve Shiva 'Lingams' of crystal measuring from 15 cms to 38 cms and galleries with thousands of Shiva 'Lingams' fixed on stone slabs.

Amarmahal: This is a beautiful palace of red sand stone which stands amidst the most picturesque environments of Jammu. There is beautiful view of the Shiwaliks at the north and the River Tawi flows down below adding to the Grandeur. This was once the residential palace of Raja Amar Singh the palace has been converted to a museum. The museum has a gallery of paintings known as NAL DAMYANTI. It has a library of around 25000 books on various subjects and disciplines. This is a beautiful spot to be visited round the year in Jammu. Hotel Hari Nivas Palace Hotel, a heritage Hotel is also located adjacent to this place.

Bahu Fort / Temple: 5 kms from Jammu city situated on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi, this is perhaps the oldest fort and edifice in the city. There is a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali inside the fort popularly known as Bave wali Mata.Today the fort is surrounded with beautiful terraced garden which is favourite picnic spot of the city folk. It has waterfalls, flowers and big trees.

Mansar Lake: is a beautiful lake fringed by forest-covered hills. Boating facilities are available on the spot. Every year around Baisakhi (April), a food and crafts festival is organised here by J&K Tourism.

Around Katra you can visit

Patni Top: 112 kms from Jammu, this famous hill resort is perched on a beautiful plateau, at an altitude of 2024 metres across which the Jammu-Srinagar Highway passes. Patnitop offers beautiful picnic spots, peaceful walks and breathtaking views of the mountainscape of the Chenab basin. In winter, the resort is generally covered with a thick mantle of snow thus providing opportunities for various snow games including skiing. It is the best developed tourist spot of Jammu. There are a large number of huts and Tourists Bunglows, all managed by J&K TDC. You can enjoy trekking (summer), skiing (winter), aero sports (May-June and Septemer-October are best suited for paragliding), boating here.

Batote: This place is on the National highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar,125 kms from Jammu situated at an altitude of 1560 metres on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. One can enjoy the beauty of Chenab gorge from this place, take long walks in deep jungles and enjoy the beauty of coniferous forests camping in the jungles, trek upto Sanasar and Patnitop.

Mantalaii: Situated a few kilometers further away from Sudh Mahadev, Mantalaii is surrounded by lush deodar forests, at an altitude of over 2000 metres. It is believed that Lord Shiva had got married to the Goddess Parvati here

Shiv Khori: There are many places of tourist and religious importance around Katra also. The devotees coming for the darshans of the deity can club their pilgrimage with a visit to these places. Shivkhori- the Holy Cave abode of Lord Shiva is situated at a distance of 70 Kms from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly half a kilometer in length with a 4 feet high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The cave is in the shape of Lord Shiva's Damroo i.e. wide at the two ends while very congested at the center. You can observe natural milky water dripping from the top to the Shiv-Ling symbolizing the eternity of the holy river Ganga. The Shiv-Khori Shrine is well connected to Katra / Jammu by road.

Precautions :

1. Avoid resting near landslide prone areas.
2. Avoid carrying too much cash, jewelry and valuables. Take proper care whatever you carry and beware of pickpockets and petty thieves.
3. Don’t trust strangers with belongings. Deposit all excess baggage in the cloak rooms.
4. Don’t eat anything offered by strangers
5. Beware of suspicious persons and unclaimed articles and report about the same to the security personnel.
6. Obtain cash receipt for any cash paid at the Shrine Board outlets.
   Avoid using routes closed for repairs. This can prove extremely dangerous.
7. Yatries with high blood pressure or heart or asthamatic problems must seek clearance from their doctors before starting the journey.
8. Yatries with any kind of medical problems are strongly advised against using the stairs.

General Info / Tips:
All pilgrims without exception are required to register themselves before undertaking the Yatra. The task of registration is done by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board which is the only STATUTORY & LEGAL authority for the purpose. No other organization, private or public is authorized to issue the Yatra slip. The registration process is entirely FREE and is fully computerized. This process is carried out at the Yatra Registration Counter, popularly known as (YRC), situated at Bus stand, Katra. Under this, a visitor has to register his name along with the number of companions and he is issued a computerized Slip (Yatra slip/Parchi) which is the documentary permission for him to proceed on his journey to the main Shrine. He is required to cross the first Check Post located at Banganga (around 1.5 kilometers from the YRC) within 6 hours of the issue of the slip, failing which his slip is confiscated at the Check Post and he is required to take a fresh slip altogether.One Yatra Slip is issued for a maximum of 9 family members only.

Free Accomodation: For the convenience of the Yatries(Pilgrims), a number of halls have been provided at at Adhkuwari, Sanjichhat & Bhawan. These halls are available free of cost but their availability is on a first come first served basis. Pilgrims can also spend the night in these halls. Free accommodation is also made available at Katra in the Niharika complex. Accommodation in the form of sheds is also made available near the Yatra Parchi counter II (YRC-II), adjacent to the New Bus Stand (Bus Stand No. II ). Besides accommodation, blankets are also provided free of cost.

Rented Accomodation: For the benefit of the pilgrims, Vaishno Devi Shrine Board provides clean, well maintained and very economical accommodation. This accommodation is available at Jammu (at Vaishnavi Dham and Saraswati Dham near Railway Station), at Katra (at Niharika Yatri Niwas and Shakti Bhawan situated at the Bus stand) Katra.

1.Before proceeding for the trek, obtain a Yatra slip from Yatra Registration Counter, near bus stand Katra.The slip is issued free of cost. No one is allowed to proceed beyond Banganga check post without obtaining the Yatra slip.

2.In case you wish to avail of the facility of rented accommodation at Katra, Adkuwari, Sanjichhat or Bhawan, please get the room reservation done from the Enquiry and Reservation Counter at Niharika Complex (near the Bus Stand) Katra.

3.Kindly confirm the rates of the Porters, Ponies and Palanquins before hiring them and ensure that they carry a valid registration card. Note down their numbers before entrusting them with your valuables. Please do not pay more than the approved rates.

4.Video cameras, mobile phones and other electronic equipment are not allowed on the track. Please make arrangements for their safekeeping at Katra itself.

5.Travel light. Please leave all unnecessary clothes and luggage at Katra itself. Food, drink and blankets are freely available. There is no need to carry these items along.

6. Avoid loud dresses, vulgar language or offensive talk or gestures.

7. Consumption of liquor, intoxicants and non vegetarian food is strictly prohibited.

8.Video film shooting is prohibited enroute. Please leave your video cameras at Katra.

Jai Mata Di!!