Pilgrimage Points - Vaishno Devi
Faith
has moved mountains. From a cave shrine tucked away deep in the Trikuta
Mountains of Kashmir to a bustling religious center, 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 and
all your dilemmas are resolved. So come with faith - that's all that is
asked of you.
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi is nestled in
a beautiful recess of the Trikuta Mountains forming a part of the lower
Himalayas. It is located 61 km north of Jammu, at a height of 5,200 feet
above the sea level. In the cave there are images of three deities viz. the
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.
The Yatra begins at
Katra and pilgrims have to cover 13 km of terrain on foot to reach the
Darbar. One kilometer away from Katra is Banganga, place where Mata quenched
her thirst and at 6 km further down, is the holy cave at Adhkawari.
The entire 13-km route is quite wide and tiled. Besides, the whole path is
lit up every night by powerful sodium vapor lamps. The whole route is swept
and cleaned from time to time throughout the day. Yatris/devotees are
requested to keep the path clean.
Shelter cum sheds and
cafeterias are setup throughout the route. Pure vegetarian food is available
at these outlets. Drinking water has been made available all along the
route, with water coolers and storage facilities.
On reaching
Bhawan, show your yatra slip at the Registration Office and obtain the batch
number provided on the slip. This number is important, as it will determine
your place in the queue for darshan (Viewing of deities).
You can
visit Vaishno Devi any time of the year.
Reaching Vaishno Devi -
By Air - The nearest airport is in Jammu, which is 48 km from Katra.
There is a helicopter service that departs from the airport at Sanhi Chat in
Jammu in the morning. Only 2 kg of baggage per person is allowed and it's 15
minutes journey.
By Rail - The nearest train station is
in Jammu.
By Road - There are regular bus services
leaving for Katra from Jammu bus stand.
From Katra it is a steep
walk of 13 km. You can either walk or hire a pony for this journey.
