We all have heard of Mata Vaishno Devi and would like to visit the temple. Let us understand its locale and importance.
Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe and Vaishnavi, is a folk manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess, Devi. It is said that Vaishnavi was formed from the combined energies of Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. The Vaishno Devi Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Vaishno Devi located in Katra at the Trikuta Mountains in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India. The temple is one of the 108 Shakti Peethas dedicated to Durga. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres of India, every year brings millions of visitors to visit the temple. Vaishno Devi Temple is one of the richest temples in India.
While some identify Vaishno Devi with the power of Vishnu as well as the incarnation of Lakshmi some others identify her with great goddess Mahadevi and says Vaishno Devi contains all powers and is associated with the entire creation as Mahadevi. Pilgrims identify Vaishno Devi with Durga and north-Indians also call her as the ‘Sheranwali mata’, (the mother who rides a lion.
It is said the about nine hundred years ago Vaishno Devi appeared in the form of a young girl and commanded a Brahmin named Shridhar from the village Hansali (next to present day Katra) to hold a bhandara (feast) for local people near Bhumika stream. At the time of feast, Bhaironath, a disciple of Goraknath, saw her, and lusted after her. To escape him, she ran away stopping at various places on the trail up the Trikuta mountain. There places are now known as Banganga (Ganga River emerged from arrow), Charan Paduka (Holy footprints), Ardha Kunwari, and finally at Bhavan, the cave that is now known as her home. There, after taking the form of Chamundi (a form of Kali), she beheaded Bhaironath. His body was held at the entrance to the cave, and his head landed further up the mountain at a place where a Bhaironath temple is now located. Vaishno Devi later manifested into 3 small rocks structures (pindikas) and stays there to the present day. Shridhar began doing puja to the pindikas at the cave, and his descendants continue to do so even today.
Pilgrim travel from the city of Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir to the village of Katra which is well connected by helicopter, rail and road. From Katra, starts the uphill journey to the Vaishno Devi Temple on foot. While on the way near the Trikuta mountain is the Banganga River. Vaishno Devi is said to have stood on a rock to look at Bhairavnath before her escape and this rock supposedly contained her footprints. Her footprints are worshipped in this temple. After having a darshan of Charan Paduka, Pilgrims go to the Ardha Kunwari Temple. Vaishno Devi is supposed to have meditated in this cave for 9 months to escape Bhairav Nath.
After having a darshan of Ardha Kunwari, the pilgrims go to the Bhairav Nath temple. It is said that after Vaishno Devi killed Bhairav Nath, Bhairav Nath realised his mistake and pleaded for forgiveness. Vaishno Devi blessed him by saying that if pilgrims did not have darshan of his head, their pilgrimage will not be fruitful. Pilgrims have a darshan of Bhairavnath’ s head before going to Bhavan, the Vaishno Devi’s Temple.
The temple is sacred to all Hindus. Many prominent saints such as Vivekananda have visited the temple. Navaratri and Diwali are the two most prominent festivals celebrated in the Vaishno Devi Temple.
