Vaishno Devi Temple Jammu And Kashmir History and Interesting Facts

Vaishno Devi Temple Quick Facts

Vaishno Devi Temple Overview

The grand temple of Maa Vaishno Devi, built on the high mountains called Trikuta in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, is one of the largest temples in the country. Vaishnodevi is a sacred Hindu temple, dedicated to Goddess Shakti.

The journey of Maa Vaishno Devi is auspicious. At the time of the journey, the devotees fill the entire path with faith by tying the mother's flag in their hands and chanting the mother's chunari on the forehead. After Tirupati Balaji Temple, this grand temple in Katra is visited by the largest number of devotees in the country.

Vaishno Devi Temple History

The story and glory of Maa Vaishnodevi Temple are situated on a hill in Jammu and Kashmir, India, it is believed that the temple of Maa Vaishnodevi was built by a Brahmin priest Pandit Sridhar about 700 years ago. In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is an incarnation of the Mother Goddess. It is one of the most revered holy places in northern India.

Vaishno Devi Temple Interesting Facts

1. At a Height of 5200 ft above sea level, 61 km to the north of Jammu is the holy cave of the Mother.
2. Maa Vaishno Devi Yatra starts from Katra. The distance from Jammu to Katra is about 50 kms. Is. You get a free 'Yatra Slip' from Katra itself to see the mother. This travel slip is valid for 6 hours.
3. In Baan Ganga, the baggage of passengers is checked (checking). You have also been provided with refreshments, tea, food etc. in the middle of the climbing journey.
4. For the darshan of the mother, the process of climbing the pilgrims continues throughout the night. If you do not want to travel on foot, then you can also hire a helicopter, Pittu.
5. Maa's building is visible only after a steep climb of about 14 meters from Katra.
6. The place where Vaishno Devi had killed Bhaironath, the same place is called the Bhawan of Mata Rani. There are no idols inside the cave, but at this place, there are 3 natural stone formations, which are called Pindi. The length of this cave is 30 m. And the height is 1.5 m.
7. Maa Kali (right), Maa Saraswati (left) and Maa Lakshmi are enshrined in the cave in the form of Pindi (middle) in three pinds. Darshan here is open round the clock throughout the year.
8. The place where the mother is seated inside the cave is called Garbhajuna.
9. After killing Bhairavnath, his head was three km from the building. The place where it fell, today that place is known as 'Temple of Bhaironath'. It is believed that after his slaughter, Bhairavnath realized his mistake and apologized to the mother, after which the mother forgave him and gave a boon to Bhairavnath saying that my darshan would not be considered complete until Till then no devotee will see you after me.
10. Thousands of kg of gold and silver ornaments are offered here every year. The annual income of Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is around Rs 500 crore. It is one of the Richest Temples in the country.
11. This temple, built on high mountains in Katra, Jammu, receives an influx of devotees throughout the year. Vaishno Devi Temple is the second most visited religious pilgrimage site in India after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
12. An Alternative route 7 km long and 6 meters wide have also been opened for the devotee by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 May 2018. About Rs, 80 crores was spent to build this route.
13. Since the year 1986, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board is carrying out developmental activities with the aim of managing this pilgrimage place and making the journey comfortable for the pilgrims. For the convenience of the passengers, various types of development work are done by the board with the donations that come here.
14. There are many scenic tourist places around Katra and Jammu, where you can enjoy the cool valleys of Jammu. Amar Mahal, Bahu Fort, Mansar Lake, Raghunath Temple, etc are the places to visit in Jammu. 'Patni Top' is a famous hill station at a distance of about 112 km from Jammu. In winter you can also enjoy snowfall here. There are many places of interest near Katra like Shiv Khori, Jhajjar Kotli, Sanasar, Baba Dhansar, Mantalai, Kud, Batote etc.
15. On 3rd September 2019, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has released the ranking of Swachh Iconic Places. According to which the temple of Mata Vaishno Devi has been declared as the "Best Clean Iconic Place" of India.

How to reach Vaishno Devi Temple

• By Air: The Nearest airport to Vaishno Devi is Jammu, which is 48 km from here. It is situated at a distance of 1 hr 20 mins from Delhi. Daily flights are available to Jammu from Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar and major metropolitan cities.
• By Rail: The Nearest Railway station to Vaishno Devi is Katra. The city of Jammu is connected to the major cities of the country by rail.
• By Road: National Highway 1A Jammu is well connected to Srinagar and other metropolitan cities.

Best time to visit Vaishno Temple:

Vaishno Devi Temple is open for devotees throughout the year. The summer season is the best to visit Vaishno Dham, as Jammu receives heavy snowfall during the winter season, making it difficult to travel.