Vaishno Devi

Udhampur , Jammu and Kashmir

Vaishno Devi is literally the greatest centre of the worship of the mother Goddess, situated in Jammu and Kashmir. It needs to be kept in mind that India is a land of piety and it has given birth to the most number of surviving religions. Thus a place of pilgrimage takes top priority every time. If that pilgrimage is as important as Vaishno Devi, there definitely is no way that place will not catapult to fame. From generations now, people have visited this holy abode of the Mother Goddess offering prayers and seeking blessings. Katra is located at the base of the Trikoot mountain where the caves of the Goddess reside. This has thus, for many years been the base of the long journey one takes by foot to visit the Vaishno Devi temple. Thus we can see that the biggest attraction here of course is the famed Vaishno Devi mandir. A climb of 1700m ensured that you reach the temple where the shrines are kept in a cave. This is a shine of the Mother Goddess and is thronged by devotees year after year. Approximately 8 million people come here every year and it is at a height of 5300m and 14 km from the town of Katra. Legend has it the Mother Goddess was born in the South of India near a seashore and dedicated her life in praying for Lord Vishnu. Thus impressed by such devotion, he blessed her by saying that the world will follow her for generations. Today this is a pilgrimage site which is so famous that the world definitely knows about it. The way to caves is steep and requires a long walk uphill. Alternatively ponies and palanquins are also available. Helicopter service can also be taken for a large part of the trip. The Trust offers comfortable stay for pilgrims.