From a cave shrine nestled atop the famous Trikuta Hills of Kashmir to a bustling pilgrimage destination, the serenity & purity of Vaishno Devi attracts thousands of tourists each year. This holy pilgrimage of northern India lies at a distance of 61km from Jammu & is not just the abode of Vaishno Devi but also of her three forms – Mahakali, Mahalakshmi & Mahasarasvati.

About Vaishno Devi Yatra

According to legends, the cave is supposed to be the hiding place for mother goddess while trying to escape from Bhairon Nath, the disciple of a tantric. The journey to Vaishno Devi is a tough four hour climb from Katra, a base camp lying at a distance of 13km. Being a hard climb, the best time to visit is in March to July as the rest of the months are extremely cold. While March-April & September-October is the main pilgrimage period, the busiest day is the full moon day in Kartika (Oct/Nov) when the line of devotees can extend up to as long as 4km.

Other Vaishno Devi Attractions

The goddess while trying to escape from Bhairon passed through several lakes & caves that today have become significant shrines. Some of these include:

Ban Ganga Temple: Located 3km from Katra, the goddess is said to have passed from here while on way to Trikuta Hills. At that same time Veer Langur felt thirsty & the goddess shot an arrow into the earth from where the holy river, Ban Ganga was produced.

Charan Paduka Temple: Charan Paduka meaning “holy footprints” is located 1.5km from Ban Ganga. The goddess is said to have stopped here for sometime while escaping from Bhairon. Her footprints can still be seen on a stone at this place.

Ardh Kuwari: Many pilgrims halt here overnight as this is the halfway point. Located here is a 15-foot long narrow cave called Garbha Joon, so named as the goddess hid here for nine months before she made a new opening into it & ran away.

Bhairon Temple: When goddess killed Bhairon, his head flew to this place which today is known as Bhairon Temple. A traditional following is to visit this temple after the Vaishno Devi temple.