This is about my trip to one of the holiest shrines in Hindu beliefs, Mata Vaishno Devi. Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Hindu Mother goddess of Maha Kali, Maha Saraswati and Maha Lakshmi.
The holy cave temple is located in Katra at the Trikuta Mountains. Katra, also known as Katra Vaishno Devi, is a city in the Reasi district of the state of J&K in India. It is in the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains, located about 42 km from the city of Jammu, and 35 km from Udhampur. The main attraction is the Mata Vaishno Devi temple, Adh Kuari (Garbh Joon caves) and Bhaironath Temple.
That was just an introduction part of the trip. Now, lets go back to the beginning. Where did it actually start, how many days trip, best time to visit, any specific travel preparation etc etc., I know you all must be having questions. But, all those answers in a short while. Well, lets begin from the beginning. It all started from Pune, a district in the state of Maharashtra in India. Its peak summer during the months May to July here. To avoid travelling in heat I preferred an early morning flight from Pune to Jammu via Delhi. It took about four and half hours of flight time to reach Jammu airport, with one hour layover time in Delhi.
At Delhi International Airport, while waiting for the flight to Jammu.
To reach Katra from Jammu, the most convenient commute is J&K state transport buses. Its roughly two hours journey from Jammu to Katra. There are many private bus operators too. One can also reach here by train.
At Katra, there are numerous options available for stay at every budget, from dormitories to star hotels, its all available here. I preferred to stay in a place which was close to the starting point of climb ‘Darshani Darwaja’. I chose a decent hotel which was about two kilometers from ‘Darshani Darwaja’. Freshened up and had an early dinner. Went back to hotel to get enough time for sleep to ensure complete fitness for the next day climb.
I got up early to start early, to avoid the rush and scorching sun. Although, i did my best to start early but couldn’t make it before 7:00 in the morning. Sun was already up and burning. It was about half an hour walk from my hotel to “BanGanga Check post”.
View of Adh Kuari from the Hotel
The Main Gateway “Darshani Darwaja”
For the temple visit this was not the ideal time as it was the peak season. May to July is considered as peak season. You have to be really very lucky to get away from the long tiring queues. Make sure you have completed the online registration process before starting your climb and you have a print out of the Yatra Parchi. Offline registrations can be obtained from the Katra bus stand at specified time.
To witness the best scenes of Trikuta hills one must visit this place either in monsoons or during winters. Both the seasons have its own charm. One would fall in love with the place during winters witnessing the frozen mountains and monsoons overwhelms them with the numerous waterfalls. Nevertheless, i was happy to be here in the month of May.
Helicopter Services: Katra to Sanjichhat
As its a long and steep climb many people prefer to start the climb late in evening to avoid the scorching sun. Although, in last few years the facilities available to reach Bhavan (The Ultimate Cave Temple) have improved a lot and are quite pocket friendly.
One have options like Helicopter, Pony, Palkhi, Pitthu and electric vans to choose from. Pony, Palkhi and Pitthu’s are available at reasonable rates fixed by the temple authority. One who prefers to take Helicopter ride should know that it takes you only till Sanji Chhat, a helipad 3.5 Kms away from the Bhavan. You can walk the distance or use the other facilities, as available.
Sight of Himalayan Griffon
I chose to climb on foot, started early in morning as I don’t wanted to miss out on capturing the mount Trikuta’s beauty, sight of the mighty Himalayas and the Himalayan Griffons on the way climbing. The total climbing distance is around 13.5 Kms till Bhawan. It is located at an altitude of 5200 ft. Another 1.5 Kms and 1400 ft will take you to Bhaironath Temple. It is total of 14.5 Kms and 6600 ft one way.
The climbing speed and number of resting halts varies with person to person. The first major station is BanGanga which is just 1 Km from Katra. BanGanga is a small stream of water or a rivulet which has emerged from Trikuta hill. There is one more stop called Charan Paduka, roughly after 1 KM from Banganga.
Sight Of Adh Kuari
Adh kuari is the next big stop and on an average it takes around 4 hours to reach from Katra. It is the halfway mark at 6Kms. Most pilgrims take rest and refresh here for a while. A small womb shaped cave, ‘Garbh Joon’, is located at AdhKuari. It has got a great story associated with Mata Vaisho Devi and have high spiritual significance. One must pass thru this cave.
View of Mighty Himalayas
The next major stop is Himkoti. It is about 3 Kms from Adh kuari on the new route, at an altitude of 5120 ft. It has no spiritual or religious significance but the scenic beauty it offers is breathtaking. You get to see glorious views of mighty Himalayas, provided its a clean weather. This place is getting developed as more than a view point. It has already got a small garden, eateries, and a meditation center.
Helipad at Sanji Chhat
The next big stop is Sanji Chhat, the helipad. It is about 1 Km from Himkoti and 3.5 Kms away from Bhawan. It is located at 6200 ft. If you are taking chopper from Katra, you would land at this very place. This place is also developing fast. It is equipped with a fully functional Hospital of 24 beds.
After reaching Sanji Chhat its a cake walk till Bhawan as its a decent of around 1000 ft which hardly takes any time. You just have to walk for half an hour and the destination is in your sight. The first glimpse of Bhawan instills great amount of energy in you and you rush down to reach there in no time.
Sight Of Bhavan
The Holy Bhawan, is the main centre of reverence for the devotees. It is also the key location in the whole Yatra circuit. It has got every possible facility required for a travelling devotee, including bank and post office.
Bhawan, is goddess Vaishno Devi’s abode in a 30 m long cave with a narrow opening. The holy cold and crystal clear water washes the lotus feet of the Mata’s “Pindian”. There are three natural pindies representing Maha Sarswati, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Kali which represent creative, preservative, and destructive aspects of the Super Power. It is an ancient shrine whose reference is found in the Vedas and ancient scriptures. As the photography of Pindis is not allowed you have to capture them thru your eyes only.
Baby Monkey on way to BhairoTemple
There’s a saying that if one doesn’t pay a visit to ‘Kal Bhairo Temple’ after visiting Bhawan, the yatra wouldn’t be considered complete. Kal Bhairo temple is about 1.5 Kms from the holy cave. Although the distance sounds less but its a strenuous climb. It is situated at an altitude of 6600 ft. Around 1400 ft more than Bhavan. The temple area has been beautified by fixing marble tiles and slabs along the pre-ambulation of the temple. This place also offers very scenic view of Himalayan ranges. It has got a small open platform to sit and admire the nature, mountains, snow capped peaks. One may also have light food and snacks here. I took my time and stayed there for about 30 minutes before starting the final descent.
Mighty view of Himalayan mountainsThe dramatic cloud formation over the hill
The descent sounds an easy word. Although it sounds easier and takes lesser time but one must take proper care of knees and should avoid jerks during descent. Maintain a constant pace to reduce strains on your knees. It took less than the half the number of hours to reach down than climbing up. I chose a different path, the older route. With no such time targets to achieve I kept my descent pace steady, took enough photography breaks.
Leaving you with few of the images clicked during descent.
Bird eye view of the City Katra, with a bird 🙂When the chopper flies parallel to your eye levelChopper taking off at Sanji ChhatView of the City Katra in night
I reached my hotel around 9:00 in the evening. Had dinner on the way back to hotel. Thereafter, it was complete rest time of around 8 hours. Next morning was destined to travel to different location, a different peak was waiting to be conquered. Stay tuned for it, we will climb it together.. 🙂
Swaroop Joshi is the Founder and Creative Director at Swaroop J Photography.
With more than 8+ years of experience in corporate as a technical writer for aerospace, automotive, and IT industries. He has developed a wide range of product documentation, Workshop manuals, including user’s guides, SOP's, and process models. He likes to read about emerging technologies and discoveries.
Swaroop Joshi is an Aviation Engineer by qualification and a Sr. Information Developer by profession.
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