Vaishno Devi

• How to Reach Vaishno Devi
• What to See at Vaishno Devi
• Where to Stay in Vaishno Devi

  Vaishno Devi Mandir is among those temples of Hindu faith that are very sacred. The temple is dedicated to goddess Shakti. It is located in Jammu and Kashmir on the hill of Vaishno Devi. Hindu faith also addresses goddess Shakti by the names of Vaishnavi and Matarani. Vaishno Devi temple is the temple that stands second among the most visited temples in India. If you get to know about Vaishno Devi, you will be fascinated more to visit it.

  

  Location of Vaishno Devi

  Vaishno Devi is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu district, very close to the town of Katra at the distance of about 12 kms. In Northern India, Vaishno Devi is amongst the most admired places of worship. Vaishno Devi enjoys being located at an altitude of 5,200 feet.

  Ideal Season to Visit Vaishno Devi

  There is no specific season to pay homage to Vaishno Devi. Devotees can come during any part of the year to satisfy their faith but you should avoid the season of winter as the weather here during winters remains biting cold.

  Vaishno Devi- Home of Goddess Shakti

  Vaishno Devi Mandir is situated in the top of the Trikuta Mountain. It is the place where Goddess Shakti is believed to reside. This holy shrine is regarded as one of the many Shaktipeeths of Goddess Durga. Zealous Hindu devotees come here from various parts of India in order to worship Vaishno Devi. Pilgrims throng here in thousand numbers to seek blessings from their revered Goddess. They undergo a strenuous climb in order to please their Goddess and their religious sentiments as well.

  The sacred cave of Matarani is famous for the three holy stones (also known as Pindies). These stones are worshipped as Mahalaxmi, Mahakali and Mahasaraswati. The sacrosanct cave of Matarani is 30 m in length and has a height of 1.5 m. This place holds many legends and stories. It is believed that this is the place where Mata Vaishno Devi amalgamated her human form with that of planetary form of her creators-Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

  The Story of Vaishno Devi

  In Treta Yug, virtuous people were tormented by the demons. Thus, gods created a divine personality in form of a girl to protect them. She was born in south India and was named Trikuta. As she belonged to Lord Vishnu's lineage, she was known as Vaishno. Her divinity spread far and wide and many people became her followers. They came to be known as the followers of Vaishnav Dharma. After some time she started meditating on a sea shore. Rama saw her on his way to search Sita and asked the reason for her penance. She told that she has accepted Rama as her husband but Rama replied that he has vowed faithfulness to his wife thus, he promised her to manifest himself as 'Kalki' in Kalyug and marry her. He asked her to meditate in the cave in the Trikuta Range of Manik Mountains, situated in North India. She observed 'Navratras' for Rama's victory. Trikuta was to be immortal and famous as Vaishno Devi.

  After you know about Vaishno Devi, plan a trip there and see your wishes come true when you visit this holy place having great faith of Indians. On your trip to Vaishno Devi, take out some time and reach Patnitop which can give you a panoramic view of the region. Patnitop has earned fame of being a nice picnic spot. It nestles at a height of 2024 mts. Patnitop provides you wonderful vistas of Chenab basin.