Maa Vaishno Devi at Trikut Parvat is one of the religious and major places where pilgrims of the divine mother of all the energies of the cosmos are revered and venerated. Vaishno Devi temple in Katra located in the Jammu region is one of the most visited Hindu shrines in the world. Several pilgrims visit this sacred temple every year. This temple is devoted to Vaishno Devi and is believed that whatever one wishes here gets granted. The sacred temple is considered the most prominent Shaktipeeths as it is believed that here the skull of the goddess Sati fell. The temple is a cave-styled holy temple and is situated at an altitude of 5200 ft above sea level so devotees need to trek a 12 km distance to the top starting from Katra as it is the base camp for the pilgrims who come to pay homage to Vaishno Mata temple. Another way to reach this sacred temple is by helicopter service, pony ride, or palanquin. During Navratras – March- April, and September- November as per the auspicious tithi days it witnesses a major crowd.
In studying Vedic literature one finds that there is no reference to the worship of any female deity or Shakti. The Puranic period thus mentions the practice of worshipping Shakti. The cave enshrines the 3 holy pindies- stone representations of the 3 forms of energy- Guna-Satva, Tama, and Raja Mata Mahasaraswati, Mata Mahakali, and Mata Mahalakshmi respectively
Epic Mahabharata reveals that Arjun sought blessings, on the battlefield, for victory from the mother goddess uttering Jambookatak Chityaishu Nityam Sannihitalaye whereby the word Jamboo is believed to be referring to the present-day Jammu. Adjacent to the Trikuta mountain at Kol Kandoli and Bhawan, Pandavas, out of gratitude, had built the temples of the mother goddess. Overlooking the holy cave one can spot five stone structures that are believed to be five Pandavas.
Even Guru Gobind Singh had visited the holy cave when he arrived here via Pur Mandal which is a pilgrimage center on the track to the holy cave. Legend has it that Mata Sati’s skull fell here and the holy shrine of the mother goddess was built in reverence. It is the holiest of all Shakti Peeths. In the holy cave of Shree Mata Vaishno Devi, there is a human hand made up of stone and people believe that it is the hand of the mother goddess that grants blessings. The exact time when the pilgrimage to the holy cave started is not very clear.
According to mythology, the severed head of Bhaironath was tossed to the adjacent hill to Trikuta. Bhairon while dying realized his mistake and asked Mata Vaishno Devi for forgiveness. Mata forgave him and gave him the boon of being worshipped by the devotees who would come to seek her blessing at the Bhawan and thus after paying a visit to Mata Vaishno Devi temple one needs to head towards the Bhairon Mandir. This sacred Bhairon Mandir is located at a distance of about 3kms from the Bhawan/holy The holy yatra to Maa Vaishno Devi is only complete when the pilgrims pay homage at Bhairon mandir thus every pilgrim during their yatra visits Bhairon Mandir for darshan.
After giving a boon to Bhairo, Ma Vaishno shed off her human form and assumed the face of a rock, she immersed herself into meditation forever. Thus ma Vaishno in the form of a 5-and-a-half-foot-tall rock with 3 pindies on the top is the astonishing destination of a devotee. These constitute the holy cave that is known as the Ma Vaishno Devi temple which is revered by all. cave of Vaishno Devi Mata in Katra. It is located on the adjacent hill of Trikuta. Bhairon Mandir has a havan Kund that is the major part of this sacred temple as the ashes are considered holy.
Ban Ganga is another holy place to visit during Maa Vaishno Devi yatra. The Shivalik range of the Himalayas is where the Ganga originates from. According to the mythology, Mata Vaishno Devi was heading towards her cave one monkey was accompanying her, and felt thirsty. With no water around Ma Vaishno shot an arrow into the earth due to which the Ganga sprang up and thus it got its name Ban Ganga where Ban means arrow. Bal Ganga provides relaxation to the pilgrims while trekking to Mata Vaishno Devi temple. Take a dip and feel fresh and relaxed before continuing further. The important thing to note down is that photography and videography are not allowed in the temple.
Best time for Vaishno Devi Yatra
The Vaishno Devi Yatra is open throughout the year, but devotees prefer to pay homage to the Vaishno Devi shrine in the summer months- May, June, and July and also in the festive period of spring and autumn, Navratras and in New Year. Winter and summer are also considered to be the aptest times for this yatra as the weather is salubrious.
In winter the original sacred cave of Mata Vaishno Devi is open during this season and darshan through this cave is in itself a mystical experience. One can even log in to the official website of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and can keep track of the pattern and the number of pilgrims visiting the sacred shrine and thus can make the yatra comfortable.
Vaishno Devi Yatra by Helicopter
The easiest way to reach the Vaishno Devi shrine is via Helicopter. You can opt for helicopter services up to Sanjichhat which is nearly 9.5km from Katra. The helipad is nearly 2km away from the Katra bus stand. Devotees can hire taxis to reach the helipad. One needs to collect the boarding tickets after reaching the helipad and have to keep their ID proofs ready with them.
After reaching one needs to collect the entry pass for Gate no.5 and locker number where you can keep your luggage and phone. One needs to walk almost 2.5km to Bhawan which takes only 30 minutes. The devotees who do not have much time can opt for this option to save time. The devotees will also be provided with VIP entry passes to the Bhawan. Travel Ride Provides Best Vaishno Devi Helicopter Package.
How and where to book the Vaishno Devi Package
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How to Reach Vaishno Devi
One eager to visit the sacred shrine needs to reach Katra which is located about 50 km from Jammu. Katra serves as the base camp for the Vaishno Devi Yatra and enjoys a good connection with Jammu, and Jammu is well connected to the major parts of India by Air, Rail, and Road.
Road
Jammu has a well-connected network of roadways. The national highway- NH1 passes through Jammu and connects it to India’s most loved destination Kashmir. Jammu is on the National Highway- 1-A which is connected by the highway network to all parts of India. There are several regular state and private buses to reach Jammu by Amritsar, Delhi, Manali, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and Shimla. One can even avail of direct buses from Delhi, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Patiala, Amritsar, Dharamshala, Pathankot, and many other cities of North India to reach Katra.
Rail
The nearest railway junction in Jammu is the Jammu Tawi situated within the city. It is well-connected to prominent cities of India- Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Trivandrum, especially the northern part. Some famous trains that run to and from the railway station are- Jammu Rajdhani, Uttar S Kranti, Jhelum Express, Andaman Express, and Himgiri express. Some of the trains run on fixed days of the week so do check the train schedule before booking. After reaching the railway station one can hire taxis to reach Katra. The Indian railways have introduced Katra’s railway station- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station, which lies on the Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway link. Direct trains from Delhi are available for Katra railway station.
Air
The Jammu airport- Satwari is the nearest airport in Jammu that is well-connected to some cities like- New Delhi, Srinagar, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Amritsar, Chennai and Leh. One can opt for Spice Jet, Jet Airways, and Air India which are regular flights from the airport. After reaching the airport one can hire a taxi to reach Katra which is around 40kms from Jammu airport.
