Vaishno Devi Trip

The holy cave is located at an altitude of 5,200 feet, On the slope of the Trikutta peak, amid attractive environs.

The bridle walk to the cave starts from Katra town at the foot of the Trikutta range. It is the bus boundary for pilgrims. normal bus services ply to it from Jammu City and their quantity is correctly increased for the duration of the heavy hurry periods. normally rush, for the past hardly any years, continues throughout the twelve months, yet the 100 days beginning with the Sharadh Navratras, about the beginning of October, witness specially milling crowds of devotees at Katra and the cave site.

Long endless lines of pilgrims pedantic their way up the hard ascent on the Trikutta range and shouting 'jaikaras' or slogans paying obeisance to Vaishno Devi and hailing victory in her name, in attendance exciting eyeglasses.

JAMMU town: We start our trip from the holy city of Jammu, which is the rail-terminus for the visitors to the J & K State. It has also an airport and a lot of bus-routes start from here including that to Katra. The city, from times immemorial, as stated in the first episode, has been considered as a holy site. In remote past also it was said to been turned into a “City of Temples ". Maharaja Ranbir Singh (1856-1885) did an excellent job in refreshing the ancient brilliance of Jammu. Numerous stately temples with cloud capped shikhras and magnificent deities and lingams, built in the time of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, even today adorn different parts of the city. The assemblages of 17 shrines known as Raghunath Temples, with several exclusive features, surpass them all.

There is Kali Temple at Bahu, which attracts large number of devotees. A Temple of grand antique is the cave shrine of Pir Kho. Another older temple in the city is that of Panj Baktar or Shiva Dwala. One cannot walk even 200 yards in any direction without coming upon a new grand godly edifice. This has rightly earned the name of " City of Temples " for this city.

25 Kms. to the west of the city is the shrine of Bawa Jito. Thousands of devotees combine their visit to Vaishno Devi with the seven-day annual celebration on the samadhi of Bawa Jito held on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.

About 40 Kms. to the east is the famous pilgrimage center of Purmandal where temples built on rocks current an imposing site. Formerly when there was no vehicular road, people from external used to carry on to Vaishno Devi through Purmandal. Both Purmandal and Bawa Jito's samadhi are linked with Jammu City through vehicular roads and ordinary bus services ply on them.

KATRA: Bus takes the pilgrims from Jammu city on a winding hill road through kaleidoscopic scenic vignettes to the charming little pastoral town of Katra, about 46 Kms away. With the tremendous increase in the number of pilgrims over the past decade or so, Katra has developed into an important pilgrimage town in the country. Several huge building complexes have come up to accommodate Yatris free or at nominal charges. The town has a whole new look and instead of the kachcha houses, dingy shops, a mean-looking narrow Bazar with dirt littered every here and there, now one can see pucca brick buildings, inviting and flourishing shops and other advertisement establishment doing quick business. A well-located and brilliantly laid-out garden with cascading water adds to the comfort provide by the urban. There are a few beautiful green mount spots near about Katra. It has a mild temperate climate, which make it a fitting summer resort also. It is the opening point for the foot journey to the holy cave. One can, if one likes, hire porters, ponies or palanquins from here at permanent rates.

BAL GANGA: This gurgling streamlet conversational out from the Trikutta range flows just below Katra.

Starting from Katra and passing through the Dharshani Darwaza, one has to get down an escarpment for about half a mile and out of sorts Bal-Ganga over a bridge. Actually it is from this bridge that the stiff rise on the Trikutta range start.

Bal Ganga is considered a holy river and many devotees consider it a must to have purificatory bath in it previous to starting on the ascent. Many shops have of late sprung up here, which serve light food or essence and other commodities compulsory for orisons in the holy cave.

From here one can either follow the pony path which is comparatively longer but easy or if hardy one can take to the old foot-track which is stiff but shorter?

CHARAN PADUKA: About 2 Kms. From Ban Ganga is the holy spot of Charan Paduka, that is, the footprints of the Devi. Over them has been built a temple, which, however, does not seem very old. Devotees worship and make offerings here. It also provides a welcome respite after an arduous ascent. According to a legend when Sati could not withstand the insulting attitude of her father Daksha who had become too hostile to his son-in-law Shiva, she sacrificed herself. This infuriated Shiva who carrying Sati's body began gyrating. In this process different parts of her body fell at different spots all of which were consecrated as pilgrimage centers. Her feet, in this legend are said to have fallen here.

or else also Vaishno Devi was the Yoga-Maya of Vishnu whose feet have been held sacred by mortals as well as by asuras and gods. It has been related in various Puranas that everywhere Vishnu's feet touch that became a sacred spot, so with his Yoga-Maya Vaishno Devi.

ADH KWARI: About 3 Kms from Charan Paduka is a small charming plateau known as Adhi Kanwari. Some people like to break their journey here for the night and resume it the next morning. Others taking a little rest here continue onward.

There are a number of enormous dormitories at Adhi Kanwari where one can put up for the night. There are some shops, too, where one can buy various necessities.

Most interesting feature here is a tunnel about 15 feet long that starts horizontally and ends vertically. It is euphemistically called " Garb Joon " and those who cannot negotiate it are considered sinners. Everyone, therefore, tries his best to pass through it and sometimes-funny situation result especially for the corpulent bodies because the tunnel is so narrow all along that one can only crawl in it on all fours.

BHAIRAV GHATI: From Adhi Kanwari, the path used to be very difficult and even dangerous. At first one had to cross " Hathi Matha " which literally describes the risky trek; almost perpendicular like the forehead of a tusker then one had to reverse " Kaman Gosha "? Which again literally marks the bow-like path, so narrow that two people could not walk abreast on it and had it not been for the wooden fencing provided both at " Hathi Matha " and " Kaman Gosha ", there would have been many accidents. Whole of " Kaman Gosha ", and a greater portion of " Hathi Matha " have now been eliminated from the arduous journey and one can travel in perfect safety.

About 7 Kms. from Adhi Kanwari is the Bhairav temple. According to a current legend devotees should visit it only on their return trip later than having the darshan of the Devi.