Vaishno Devijammu
The abode of the Goddess Vaishno Devi is in the Mountains of Trikuta Hills in the Jammu and Kashmir State of Northern India. The Goddess resides in a beautiful cave in the form of 3 ‘Pindis’ namely Maha Kali Maha Laxmi and Maha Sarawati. The Goddess Durga is said to have killed the demon Bhairon here. The cave is at an elevation of 1700m 5100ft and is 30m 93 ft long and just 1.5m 5ft high. There are many who journey here year after year to pay obeisance regardless of their faith or belief creed or class caste or religion for Mata Vaishno Devi transcends all such barriers.
Four objectives of human life as brought forward by Indian spiritual beliefs areDharm righteousness Kaam Pleasure Moksh Knowledge and Arth Wealth. When people visit the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi all these four blessings are conferred on them. It is believed that no one goes empty handed from the great pilgrimage of Vaishno Devi Maa.
How to Get There
Vaishno Devi is located 14km from the town of Katra and 52km north of Jammu. Katra is situated at 2800 feet and takes about 2 hours to reach from Jammu by bus.
Air
The nearest airport is in Jammu which is 48km from Katra. There is a helicopter service that departs from the airport at Sanjhi Chat in Jammu in the morning.
Rail
The nearest railway station is in Jammu which is well connected to all the major cities in India.
Road
There are regular buses leaving for the 52km trip from the central bus stand in Jammu to where the road ends at Katra 2 hr. Walking From Katra it is a steep 13km walk
Best Season
The shrine is visited throughout the year but owing to snowfall in winter it can get difficult. The heaviest rush is during the Navratra periods in MarchApril and SeptemberOctober.
Where to Stay
The most convenient place to stay is Jammu just over 60 km away. Jammu has a number of good hotels guest houses and inns both private and governmentowned. Katra itself has a number of guesthouses where it is possible to get a room.
About the writer: Kashmirhotravel is a tour management company for online hotels reservation in Jammu and Kashmir. For pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi visit http://www.kashmirhotravel.com/Vaishno_Devi.asp or mail us at bookingkashmirhotravel.com
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