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Located in the mighty Trikuta Mountains at a distance of 60 kilometers from Jammu, is the famous Vaishno Devi Temple. One of the most visited and worshipped pilgrimages in India; the Vaishno Devi shrine is the epitome of devotion and belief in the Almighty. Situated at a height of 5200 feet above sea level, the Vaishno Devi Mata pilgrimage is visited all through the year. It is better to avoid visiting this pilgrimage during severe winters as the path becomes very dangerous due to snowfall and sleet. Read on to know the legend behind the famous Vaishno Devi temple.
It is believed that more than 700 years back, a selfish demon known as Bhairon Nath came to know about a young girl named Vaishno Devi, who was the ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and supposedly the incarnation of Goddess Devi. In order to attain salvation easily, the selfish demon chased her while she was going towards the Trikuta Mountains. She quenched her thirst at a stream, which is now known as Banganga, located right at the start of the Trikuta Mountains. It is said that Vaishno Devi meditated in a cave to acquire divine powers to slay the demon. It took Bhairon Nath nine months to locate her and hence the cave is known as "Garbha Joon".
She emerged out of the cave after intense meditation and fought the demon. She assumed the form of Goddess Kali and separated the head of the demon with one powerful blow. The head landed at a distance of 2 kilometers above the holy temple. During his last moments, Bhairon Nath pleaded to be given salvation. Since Vaishno Devi knew that he was chasing her for attaining salvation, she granted him not only salvation but also granted him a boon that devotees will not go back without visiting his temple. That is why till date, anyone visiting Vaishno Devi travels further upwards and visits the Bhairon Temple to finish the holy journey.
Devotees have to climb up the mountain for a distance of 13 kilometers to reach the Vaishno Devi Temple. The path is cobbled and narrow and has the steep valley on one side. Devotees tread along this uneven path with full devotion and get the strength from the sheer belief in God. The air over here is always alive with the cries of "Jai Mata Di" in the praise of the Goddess. The Garbha Joon is located halfway and devotees have to pass through the cave that Vaishno Devi meditated in. On reaching the temple, one has to pass through another cave to get the "darshan" of the Goddess who assumed the form of three small rocks known "Pindi". The three rocks resemble her three heads.
History
The legend goes that more than 700 years ago, Vaishno Devi, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, used to pray to Lord Rama and had taken vow of celibacy. One day, Bhairon Nath, a demon-God, saw her and gave chase. The Goddess felt thirsty at Banganga and shot an arrow into the earth from where water gushed out. Charan Paduka, marked by the imprints of her feet, is the place where she rested. She then meditated in the cave at Ardhkanwari. It took Bhairon Nath nine months to locate her. Mata Vaishno Devi then blasted an opening at the other end of the cave. She assumed the form of Maha Kali and cut off Bhairon Nath's head, which fell at the place where the Bhairon Temple is now located. The boulder at the mouth of the holy cave, according to the legend, is the petrified torso of Bhairon Nath who was granted divine forgiveness by the benevolent Mata in his dying moments.
How To Reach
By Road : Vaishno Devi Temple can be reached after making a steep 13-km trek from the road head at Katra, the town at the foot of the Trikuta hills. Several porters and ponies are available at Katra on hire.
By Air : Jammu is the nearest airport. Jammu's civil airport at Ranibagh is 9 km from the city center. Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Indian Airlines, runs flights to and from Delhi, Srinagar and Leh.
By Rail : Jammu is the nearest railhead, which lies on the other side of the Tawi River. Jammu is very well connected with all major destinations in India by rail. Direct express trains link it with Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta.
Katra is connected with Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Jallandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jwalaji and Srinagar by road. We would provide you all India tourist permit vehicles for the local transportations and also for the intercity drives too.
Jammu and Kashmir has been a symbol of eternal natural beauty since time immemorial. Few places in the subcontinent come close to the tummy-flipping beauty of the Himalayan mountain system. Like a pretty young girl, magnanimously voted by all as the beauty of her family, Jammu and Kashmir (often referred to simply, as J&K) has always been enveloped in an aura of mystery and elusiveness. J&K consist of 3 main regions: religiously oriented Jammu (the winter capital of the state), the pretty, flowery valleys of Kashmir and the cold. Whichever area you choose to start with, try completing the entire circuit to do full justice to these spellbinding lands of the North. The tourist places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir include Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Leh among others.