Vaishno Davi Pilgrimage India

India's most visited Hindu pilgrimage center is situated at Katra, 61 Km in the north of Jammu. Mata. It is seated on the Trikuta Mountain at an altitude of 5, 300 ft above the sea level. The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi nestles in a cave of Himalayan Mountains in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The entrance to temple covers a stretched area of 13 km, thereby dragging into a compressed tunnel of running stream, known as ‘Char an Ganga’. Devotees stands in queue in the extended getaway of the temple and need to follow the passage through the cave so as to reach the holy sanatorium. During the winters the path gets clogged with snow and create obstacle to proceed on the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage yatra.

Legends Associated with Vaishno Devi
According to Hindu mythology, the name of the temple came after Vaishno Devi a devotee of Lord Vishnu,who used to pray Lord Rama and had attained purity in the name of her lord. Legends also says that Goddess Durga appeared in the form of Maha Kali and have killed the demon Bhairon in this very land. A common faith ties the pilgrims visiting the godly land. They believe that Goddess-Vaishno when calls her devotee, he or she has to march forward the temple from any corner of the world. It is said that the person under the blessing of Mata receives some extra-ordinary power of climbing the great heights of the mountain. They continue their religious trip with chanting 'Prem se bolo, Jai Mata Di' and create magic in the ambiance.

Dedicated to Godess Vaishno
The adorable home to Goddess Vaishno Devi sparkle with the presence of the three Pindis namely “Maha Kali”, “Maha Laxmi” and “Maha Sarawati”. The deity of Vaishno is represented in the configuration of a five and half feet tall rock structure and three Pin dies or heads. Each of her manifested form are located at a distance of 91 feet inside the cave. The Pindis are encircled with the spiritual symbol of 'Surya', 'Chander', 'Sinh Raj', 'Pashupatinath', 'Shiva' and 'Dhrupad Ji'. Interestingly, the each of the three form of one common Vaishno Devi has been opined differently. 'Maha Kali' represents Tam Gun and Tam stands for gloominess and unhappiness. 'Maha Lakshmi represents Raj Gun and Raj stands for livelihood, prosperousness and happiness 'Maha Saraswati represents Sat Va Gun and Sat va stands for pureness, righteousness and honesty

Vaishno Devi Pilgrimage Rituals
Vaishno Devi Temple is a door way to religious affair and tradition. One very important activity lies in the Aarti, performed by the Pujaries. It is performed twice a day with the morning sunrise and evening sunset. The ritual starts with the loud chanting of Mantra's, accompanied with uttering 108 names of Goddess Durga. Following this the Atam Puja is performed for their own purification.With applying Tilak on each other's forehead, the puja further continues with worshiping Prithvi, Surya, Deep and Dhoop. After a strong devotion of two hours the aarti ends up with a vow to Mata Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi Vaishno Mata and Mata Maha Saraswati.

Divine Journey/ Pilgrimage Yatra to Vaishno Devi
The religious Pad Yatra( journey by foot) is a hard core task and calls for a for-hour climb. The yatra start up with the high steps of Katra, 13 km from the temple. Many devotees cover the distance by foot, whereas some opt for a hilarious ride on a pony or a horse. During their approach they refresh themselves with a halt in Banganga, 1 Km away from Katra and at the holy cave at Adhkawari, 6 Km from Katra. The roads are facilitated with drinking water and necessary items. Shops located along side at the entrance of the Bhawan are availed with glittering Chunri, coconuts and Darshan prasad. Yatris need to follow the system of issuing a token, in which the group number and the time for Darshen are mentioned.

Best time to Travel to Vaishno Devi
Dedicated to Goddess Vaishno Devi, this pilgrimage center is located in the rough terrain of Himalaya. Due to its geographical location, the area is pone to cold climate. The best time to make a Vaishno Devi trip is anytime between March-April and September-October.

More Attractions for Pilgrims
Ban Ganga Temple, Charan Paduka Temple and Ardh kuwari temple.

How to Reach:

Air:
The nearest airport is at Jammu (48 km from Katra). You can catch daily flights from Delhi and Srinagar.

Rail:
The nearest railway station is Jammu which directly connects Calcutta, Delhi and Kanyakumari.

Road:
Jammu is the terminus of a large number of Inter State Bus Services.

Jammu to Katra
Buses leave for Katra every 10 minutes from the main bus stand at Jammu between 5.30 am to 8.30 pm. During rush hour extra buses are pressed into service between Jammu and Katra.
You can hire private taxis between Jammu and Katra. These can be engaged from Jammu Airport, Jammu Railway Station and the Tourist Reception Centre in the city.