Vaishno Devi Temple

Deity

Vaishno Devi

Discovery of The Shrine.

• Although there are different versions of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji's history and legend, there appears to be agreement on the Shrine's discovery about 700 years ago by the same Pandit Shridhar, at whose place Mata had helped organise a Bhandaara. Pandit Shridhar is said to have felt as if he had lost everything in his life when she left amidst the Bhandaara to flee Bhairon Nath. He was in such grief that he stopped eating and drinking and locked himself in a room of his home, fervently praying for Vaishnavi to return.
• Mata Vaishnavi appeared to him in a vision (dream) and told him to look for her in the Holy Cave, which is nestled among the folds of the Trikuta Mountain. She led him to the Holy Cave and compelled him to break his fast. Pandit Shridhar then ventured into the mountains to find the Holy Cave. Any time he seemed to be losing his way, the vision of his dreams appeared in front of his eyes, and he eventually arrived at his destination. He discovered a rock shape with three heads atop it when he entered the cave. Mata Vaishno Devi appeared in all her glory before him at that time (another version claims that the Supreme Energies of Mata Maha Saraswati, Mata Maha Lakshmi, and Mata Maha Kali appeared in the Holy Cave) and introduced him to the three heads (now known as the Holy Pindies) of the rock shape, as well as various other identifying marks in the Holy Cave. She bestowed four sons upon him as well as the right to worship her manifestation, and she requested him to spread the glory of the Holy Shrine throughout the world. Pandit Shridhar then dedicated the rest of his life to Mata at the Holy Cave.

The Call of Mata

• The Call of Mata begins the journey to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji's Holy Shrine. The Divine Mother sends a call to her children is not only a belief, but also a deep experience shared by all. And once a person receives it, he is obligated to visit the Mother, wherever he is, to receive Her boundless love and blessings. Maan Aap Bulandi, which means "The Mother Herself Calls!" is a traditional slogan in local folklore that beautifully expresses it. Almost everyone who visits the Holy Shrine knows that when Mata calls, all one needs to do is take one step and leave the rest to Her, and his journey will be completed with Her divine blessings.
• Simultaneously, it is also believed that no one, no matter how high or mighty, will visit the Shrine or receive Her blessings unless there is a call or Bulawa.

Darshan

• The Holy Cave and the Trikuta Mountain, where the Shrine is situated, are the portals to the realm of Super Consciousness. And, like the Trikuta Mountain, which has one peak at the base but three peaks at the top (hence the term Trikoot), the Mother Goddess's discovery in the Holy Cave is in a natural rock shape with one head at the bottom but three heads at the top. The Holy Pindies are three heads carved out of natural rock that are revered as the Mother Goddess's revelation. The entire rock formation is now submerged in water, and a marble foundation has been built all around it. The three heads known as the Holy Pindies continue to be the main Darshans. The Holy Pindies are unusual in that, despite originating from a single rock shape, each one is distinct in colour and texture from the other two.
  

 MAHA KALI

• The Holy Pindi of Mata Maha Kali (the Supreme Energy of Dissolution) is to the devotee's right, in the colour associated with Her, black. Mata Maha Kali is the Supreme Energy of Dissolution. She embodies the Tam Guna, an attribute synonymous with life's darker and unknown facets. Darkness is represented by Tam. According to psychology and science, only a small percentage of the Universe is conscious. The rest is still in the subconscious or unconscious mind. All of life's mysteries are hidden in these mysterious regions. Creation is a process that occurs at a certain point in time. The Eternal Time or Maha Kali, on the other hand, is an energy that transcends time barriers. Since man's awareness of life is minimal and he is unaware of most of it, the colour black, which is associated with Mata Maha Kali, is used to depict it. She is the origin of everything magical and mysterious to man. The Mother Goddess continually guides her devotees to defeat the powers of darkness in her Maha Kali attribute.

MAHA LAKSHMI

• The Holy Pindi of Mata Maha Lakshmi (the Supreme Energy of Maintenance) is in the middle, with a yellowish-red tinge, Mata Maha Lakshmi's colour. The Supreme Energy of Maintenance is Mata Maha Lakshmi. She is the embodiment of Rajas Guna, which is the quality of motivation and effort, and is regarded as the primary source of wealth, success, material benefits, and overall quality of life. Gold, which is yellow, is synonymous with wealth and prosperity, and is thus associated with Mata Maha Lakshmi.

MAHA SARASWATI

• The Pindi to the viewer's extreme left is revered as Mata Maha Saraswati's Holy Pindi (the Supreme Energy of Creation). When examined closely, it has a whitish tinge. Mata Maha Saraswati has also been associated with the colour white. Mata Maha Saraswati, as the Supreme Force of Creation, is regarded as the fundamental source of all Creation, Knowledge, Wisdom, Righteousness, Art, Spiritualism, and Piousness, among other things. White is associated with Mata Maha Saraswati because it is a colour that represents piety and purity. She is the embodiment of the Satva Guna, or purity quality.
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji is thought to be the manifestation of the three Supreme Energies.

All human beings have characteristics of the three Guns (qualities) listed above, and their behaviour is dictated by the Guna that is dominant in their existence. However, in order to live a fulfilling life, a proper combination of these three is needed. The Holy Cave is charged with such energy that it aids in the creation of a person's essential yet unusual equilibrium. This is what makes Mata Vaishno Devi Ji's Holy Shrine special in the world.

Darshans within the Holy Cave are in the form of natural rock formations known as Pindies, as previously said. Within, there are no sculptures, paintings, or idols. Many photos illustrating the existence of Darshans inside the Holy Cave can be found along the track and at the Bhawan. Yatries should pay close attention to these, as they are supposed to lead them to the final Darshans in the Holy Cave.

Bhairo Temple, where the head of Bhairo fell on hill.

Vaishno Devi was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu who meditated in a cave. Bhairaonath, a prominent Hindu Tantric, is said to have fallen madly in love with the young Vaishno Devi at an agricultural fair. To avoid his amorous advances, Vaishno Devi fled into the Trikuta hills, where she later assumed the form of Mahakali and cut off his head with her sword in a cave. "Around nine hundred years ago, Vaishno Devi appeared in the form of a young girl and ordered a Brahmin named Shri Dhar from the village Hansali (near present-day Katra) to hold a feast (bhandara) for local people near Bhumika stream," says professor and author Tracy Pintchman. Bhairo, a Goraknath follower, appeared at the feast and requested meat and liquor. However, since this was a Brahmin's feast, Vaisno Devi told him that he would only be served vegetarian food. Bhairo lusted after her when he saw her. She ran away from him, stopping at different points along the trail up Trikunta mountain. Banganga, Charan Paduka, Adi Kumari — the cave where she is said to have stayed for nine months — and finally Bhavan, the cave that is now known as her house — are the names of these sites. She beheaded Bhairo while in the form of Camunda (a Kali form). His body remained at the cave's entrance, while his head landed further up the mountain, near a Bhairo temple. The goddess then gave Bhairo further redemption after he repented. However, in doing so, she stipulated that pilgrims seeking her darshan must also seek his darshan— that is, darshan of his head— or the pilgrimage will be meaningless. Shri Dhar started performing pindi puja at the cave, and his descendants continue to do so today."

Festivals

• Navaratri, a nine-night festival commemorating Devi's victory over evil demons, and Diwali, a festival of lights symbolising the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and wisdom over ignorance, are the two most important festivals held at Vaishno Devi Temple.
• The Navaratri festival takes place in the month of Ashvin, which falls between September and October in the Gregorian calendar. The festival lasts nine nights (ten days) and features performances by artists from all over the country at Vaishno Devi Darbar. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shrine Board has begun working with the Indian Postal Department to send Prasda to devotees who are unable to visit the temple.
• The Vaishno Devi Temple attracts Hindu devotees of all religions and schools of thought.

Mythology of Mata Vaishno Devi Temple

• Mata Vaishno Devi was born as Vaishnavi and was instructed by the goddesses who created her to live on Earth and devote her time to achieving a high level of consciousness. Lord Rama later told her to build an Ashram at the base of the Trikuta Hills, meditate, and develop spiritually, and she followed his instructions.
• When the goddess began to settle in Katra's Trikuta Hills, Mahayogi Guru Goraksh Nathji dispatched his disciple, Bhairon Nath, to see if the goddess had progressed to the next stage of spirituality. Bhairon Nath, on the other hand, began to lose his sense of purpose as he fell in love with her and began to annoy her to marry him.
• Vaishnavi fled to the mountains to resume her Tapasya/meditation undisturbed but was pursued by Bhairon Nath. The goddess killed him, and as he died, Bhairon Nath realised his error and begged forgiveness. Mata Vaishno Devi not only forgave him, but she also bestowed a blessing on him. After the goddess, each pilgrim must have the Darshan of Bhairon, and only then will the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra be complete.

Daily Routine	Temple Open Timing: All days of the week 5:00 AM - 12:00 PM 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Aarti	Mornings from 6.00 - 6.20 a.m. to 8.00 a.m., and evenings from 6.00 - 6.20 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Pooja Booking

1. Individual Poojan

Category A: Pooja of Rs. 2100/-

• Where the devotee(s) will not be sitting in the Pooja, the Pooja will be performed in the name of the person(s) for/by whom the Pooja has been registered. Pooja is available on any given day. The Prashad will be delivered to the specified address via courier. A maximum of five family names can be provided for this reason, and they will be chanted during the Pooja. The facility will be available throughout the year.

Category B: Pooja of Rs. 11000/-

• Pooja may be performed by the devotee alone or with a maximum of four (total of five) members of his or her family. Report to room no. 8 at Bhawan about the Pooja's timings before 8:00 a.m. This category of Poojan will only accept reservations in advance.

2.  Shradha Suman Vishesh Pooja

Devotees who wish to attend the Holy Goddess's Aarti Darshan can purchase a package under the "SHRADHA SUMAN VISHESH PUJA" scheme. The following are the package's specific examples:

 Category A

• Aarti Darshan (inside the Holy Cave) for one adult and one child under the age of ten.
• In Niharika, there is one two-bed AC room.
• Bhavan has one two-bed room.
• At Katra/Bhavan, one adult and one child are limited to three meals.
• Prashad
• For one person, a Helicopter/Battery Car ticket is available.
• Rs.26000/- is the suggested donation amount.

Helicopter Services

Helicopter services begin in Katra, in the foothills, and drop the person off in Sanjhichatt. This heli-hop begins with a visit to the holy Shrine, which is surrounded by clouds.

Instructions for Purchasing a Helicopter Ticket at the "Present Heli-Ticket Counter."

• A Yatra Registration Slip is needed to purchase a Helicopter ticket at the "Present Heli-ticket Counter."
• For the current booking, ID proof of all family members (who wish to purchase a Heli ticket) will be needed.
• Air/Train/Bus/Taxi travel documents, as well as train/bus tickets or other evidence, are needed.
• Yatries should be cautious of touts/travel agents who ask for money in exchange for helicopter tickets.
• (Rate of one-way ticket: Rs.1730/- per person.)
• The relevant tax rates will be paid on the date of travel at the destination.
• Sanjichhat/Katra.

Visitor Guide

Rest of India to Jammu

To visit the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, one must first travel to Katra, a small town about 50 kilometres from Jammu, the state's winter capital. Katra acts as the yatra's base camp. Katra is well connected to Jammu, which is well connected to the rest of the country via air, rail, and road.

AIRWAYS

• By air, Jammu is well linked to the rest of India. Both Indian Airlines and Jet Airways fly to Jammu on a regular basis. The average flight time from New Delhi is approximately 80 minutes.

RAILWAYS

• Katra can also be reached by train. Jammu/Katra is linked to the rest of the country via broad gauge, and numerous passenger trains run from all over the country. The Railways introduce special trains for the comfort of the Yatris during the peak season of summer and other holidays. Many superfast trains run on this line, and it is possible to reach Jammu/Katra overnight from New Delhi.
• The Indian Railways website has a list of trains, schedules, and booking status. If a person is planning a trip in the near future, they can even book tourists tickets online.

ROADWAYS

• Jammu is also well connected by road to the rest of India. National Highway No. 1A runs through Jammu on its way to Srinagar. Daily bus services to Jammu and Katra are available from all major North Indian cities. Many regular and deluxe buses operated by various State Road Transport Corporations and private operators link Jammu with major cities and towns in North India.
• Passengers travelling by air or rail must make a stop in Jammu and then choose an alternate mode of transportation. However, passengers travelling by road, whether by public or private vehicle, have the choice of taking a by-pass from Kunjwani, about 10 kilometres outside of Jammu, and heading straight for the base camp, i.e., Katra. The decision to stop in Jammu is thus entirely up to the yatri, though many yatries would like to spend more time there and visit the temples and other landmarks.

Other Visiting Sites

Raghunath Temple

• This temple dedicated to Lord Rama is outstanding and special in Northern India, situated in the heart of the city and surrounded by a group of other temples. In 1835 AD, Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder of the Kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, began construction on the temple.

Ranbireshwar Temple

• Ranbireshwar Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located on the Shalimar Road near the New Secretariat. It was constructed in 1883 AD by Maharaja Ranbir Singh. It has one central 'Lingam' that stands seven and a half feet tall (7.5 ft.)

Amarmahal

• This is a lovely red sandstone palace set in one of Jammu's most picturesque settings. The Shiwaliks can be seen to the north, and the Tawi River flows down below.

Bahufort

• This is possibly the city's oldest fort and edifice, located 5 kilometres from Jammu city on a rock face on the left bank of the river Tawi. Originally built over 3,000 years ago by Raja Bahulochan.