Chalo
Bulawa Aya Hai Mata Ne Bulaya Hai,"
is the usual refrain of one overwhelmed with the irresistible
urge. He forgets his past commitments, drops the job on hand and,
at the first opportunity, rushes
to catch the train/flight to Jammu, Road to Katra & then reach
Vaishno Devi by trekking/ponies & helicopter.
Over
4.5 million Indians from all parts of the country respond this
way to the call of the Mother every year to one of the holiest
shrines in Northern India. Youngsters hope to fare well in examinations;
newlyweds look for conjugal bliss. Some hope to win property cases;
others look forward to the blessing of an heir. And some visit
Vaishno Devi for no other reason than their wish to see Mata.
Devotees aver that the revered Mata calls out to her followers,
and only then one can go to her sublime shrine. An arduous journey
up the Trikuta Mountain range and the final darshan (audience)
of the Goddess leaves one with staunch faith in Her. It is believed
that one can ask the great Mother of any needful thing and promise
to visit her when the wish is fulfilled. Lakhs of people vouch
for the deity's graciousness and visit the shrine in the form
of thanks giving.
Vaishno
Devi, a holy cave shrine situated at an altitude of over 5000
feet in a beautiful recess of the Trikuta mountains forming a
part of the lower Himalayas attracts a huge number of pilgrims
every day of the year unless the route is blocked by snowfall.
Within the cave are ancient images of three deities, the Mahakali,
Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. Popular belief holds that anybody
who walks up to the shrine of Vaishno Devi to ask for a boon rarely
goes back disappointed. 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.
As the legend goes, more than 700 years ago Mata Vaishno Devi,
a devotee of Lord Vishnu, had taken a vow of celibacy. Bhairon
Nath, a tantric (demon-God) tried to behold her, making use of
his tantric powers. On arriving at the holy cave at Darbar, she
assumed the form of Maha Kali and cut-off Bhairon Nath's head
which was flung up the mountain by the force of the blow and fell
at the place where the Bhairon temple is now located. The boulder
at the mouth of the holy cave according to the legend is the petrified
torso of Bhairon Nath who was granted divine forgiveness by the
benevolent Mata in his dying moments.
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi is said to have been built
by the five Pandavas. The length of the cave is about 98 ft. The
symbols of a large number of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon
can be seen here. At the mouth of the original tunnel to the holy
cave can be seen the symbols of Vakra Tunda Ganesha, Surya Dev
and Chandra Dev. When one crawls into the cave through the tunnel,
he/she crosses over the Dhadh of Bhairon Nath. The symbol of Lord
Hanuman, called Launkra Beer, can also be seen and the pilgrims
have to wade through water beyond the Launkra Beer point. Twenty-three
feet beyond Launkra Beer, on the upper left-hand side, the roof
of the cave flares out and the weight of this overhang appears
to be resting on the innumerable heads of Shesh Nag. Immediately
below Shesh Nag can be seen the symbols of Shankh, Chakra, Gada
and Padam. Higher up, almost touching the ceiling of the cave,
are the symbols of the five Pandavas, the Sapt Rishi, the udders
of the divine cow, Kamadhenu, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Parvati.
There are several places to see and visit near Vaishno Devi too.
The Deva Mai temple is about three miles short of Katra town.
Many devotees treat it as a very holy site and go there to perform
paeans. The Holy Cave of Shiv Khori is the abode of Lord
Shiva, situated at a distance of 70 km from Katra. The cave is
a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly a kilometer in length
with a four-feet-high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart
of the sanctum sanctorum.
Vaishno Devi Temple can be reached after making a steep 13-km
trek from the road head at Katra, the town at the foot of the
Trikuta hills. The Indian shrine of Vaishno Devi is easily accessible
through air, road and rail from the other major Indian cities
and states. Paradisetourindia.com can arrange for you all
types of transport for your comfortable journey to and in Vaishno
Devi and throughout the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In
order to make the travel tour to Vaishno Devi even more joyful
you need to choose just the right kind of accommodation for you
and your family or friends in Vaishno Devi. The various hotels
packages in Vaishno Devi offer the best of facilities. You may
take your pick from a range of luxury and budget hotels in Vaishno
Devi besides the star categorized accommodation hotels around
the landmarks of Vaishno Devi offer excellent view of the landmarks
through their suites. Most of the places to stay in Vaishno Devi
are strategically located in the pilgrim centers.
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about Maa Vaishno Devi
