We are all drenched in the modern era with technical gadgets to accompany us in every step we take. Day by day faith and religion are taking new curves and changing its meaning with every passing second. However, there are certain places, certain destinations which remain immortal for time immemorial and visiting such places makes one question their own mind. Vaishno Devi of Kashmir is one of the most holy places in the world and considered as the Mecca of hindus. People from all over flock here in large numbers to offer prayers to the Bhagawati Devi.
The holy place has its age old
mythical story that the hindu Goddess Vaishnodevi,
an ardent follower of Lord Vishnu
and the reincarnated form of the Goddess
Lakshmi had gone to the jungles for meditation. Dazzled by her beauty a
demon named Bhairavnath confronted
her and pressurized her to marry him. The goddess fled from the place and took
shelter in a cave for the next 9 months and later on took on the demon. A
Devotee from the nearby village discovered this mysterious cave where the idol
of the Goddess was found and hence the place has become a primary pilgrimage
location for Hindus around the world.
The holy cave of goddess Vasihnodevi
is located on on the hilly slopes of Trikuta
hill at an altitude of 5300 ft and approximately 12 km from the town of
Katra at the Himalayan State of Jammu.
Modes of transport include Ponies, Palanquins and Porters available for the old
and weary devotees. Today, helicopter services to the sanctum have also
commenced and depending upon the climate and weather they operate on fixed
timings with specific charge of Rs 1225 for an adult and Rs 610 for a child.
The maximum carrying capacities of the aircrafts are 6 pilgrims on board and it
takes about 8 minutes from Katra to Sanjichat. These places are just 2.5 kms
from Vaishno Devi Shrine. From the Katra bus stand, Udhampur it merely takes
around 2 kms to reach the helipad. There is a railway transport medium built
to facilitate pilgrimage and it starts from Udhampur to Katra. The nearest airport in the area is
the Jammu Airport. The snowcapped mountains and freezing cold atmosphere make
it impossible to visit the shrine during winter months as it remains covered
with snow. Hence the months of March-April
or September-October can be
considered best to pay homage to the Devi.
Irrespective of the difficulties,
thousands of devoted believers visit the shrine every year and pray offerings
for the well being of a loved one, some visit just to have a peace of mind and
the rest for the love and respect of the holy goddess. Innumerable stories,
theories are present as to how the place came into existence and yet the place
holds its own importance, own uniqueness and it would definitely be termed as
one of the holiest place ever, that exists among us. The goddess inside the
Cave will continue to shed her blessings and change the life of her million
devotees.
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