Vaishnodevi-Katra Tour and Travel Guide

Vaishnodevi— Famous Holy cave shrine of bliss in Trikuta Hills

About Vaishnodevi-Katra Tour and Travel Guide

Vaishno Devi is a temple town home to the renowned Vaishno Devi Mandir. Situated in Trikuta hills, 13 km from Katra in J&K; this well-known shrine attracts millions of devotees from around the globe.  Also called Mata Rani, Vaishnavi, and Trikuta, Vaishno Devi is a form of the Hindu Goddess Durga. It is said that at the time of pooja and aarti, Goddesses reach the Holy cave to pay their salutation to Mata Rani. Pilgrims believe the goddess calls the devotees to come here. Come here through Jammu tour packages organized by Hellovisit.

Vaishno Devi is considered to be the goddess who grants the wishes to her children. The glimpse of Mata Vaishno Devi in the pious cave is in the shape of three natural rocks also called Pindies. These Pindies are manifestations of three forms of goddesses Maha Kali, Maha Saraswati, and Maha Lakshmi. More than 10 million devotees reach the Vaishno Devi cave each year.

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Things to do at Vaishnodevi

After taking the darshan of Vaishnodevi by going up from Katra at a distance of 14 km, you can enjoy scenic news and also have some good food while descending down towards Katra.

Best time to visit Vaishnodevi

You can go for Vaishnodevi yatra from April to Oct. This is the best time. The region is cold during the winter seasons. and during the months of December and January, there is snowfall on Trikuta hills making the journey difficult. 

How to reach Vaishnodevi?

By road:-Katra, the base station for Vaishnodevi is connected via road from Jammu and Delhi.

By train:-You have frequent trains to Katra from Jammu and Delhi. Katra is the base station for Vaishnodevi. 

By air:-You can come to Jammu by flight, the nearest city of Vaishnodevi. You can also book a helicopter to Vaishnodevi from Katra. The helicopter flight drops you at Sanjichat. 

Places to see in Vaishnodevi

Vaishnodevi Mandir

Vaishno Devi is a famous temple residence to the well-known Vaishno Devi temple. Situated in Trikuta hills, at a distance of 13 km from Katra in J&K, this well-known shrine magnetizes millions of devotees from different parts of the world.  Also lovingly called Mata Rani, Vaishnavi, and Trikuta, Vaishno Devi is a form of the Hindu Goddess Durga. There is a belief that during aarti, goddesses reach the Holy cave to pay their homage to Mata Rani. Faithful believe the goddess calls the pilgrims to reach here. Come here through the Jammu Kashmir religious tour.

Vaishno Devi is said to provide boons to the faithful. The view of Maa Vaishno Devi in the holy cave is in the shape of three naturally formed rocks also called Pindies. These Pindies represent the three forms of the goddess as Maha Kali, Maha Saraswati, and Maha Lakshmi. More than 10 million pilgrims reach the Vaishno Devi shrine each year.

Katra

Katra is a little town located in the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains known as the base camp to visit the temple of Vaishno Devi. Situated in the Udhampur district of J&K, the major attraction of Katra is Vaishno Devi Temple. This is why it is also called Katra Vaishno Devi.

Becoming a tourist attraction, people now have easy access to helicopters as well as eco-friendly vehicles. Katra is worth seeing even if you are not a pilgrim because spots like the Banganga, the Chenab river, and wonderful peaks nearby offer choices like mountain climbing as well as family outings. Come here through Jammu Kashmir trip packages.

Ardhkuwari Gufa

Before creating Vaishno Devi Bhavan her abode, Mata Vaishnodevi is said to have done meditation in the ArdhKuwari Gufa for 9 months before cutting the head of the demon Bhairavnath. Located midway to Vaishno Devi Temple, Ardh Kuwari is a stopover for the devotees on their way up to the Bhavan.

The 52ft long Ardhkuwari is called Garbajoon Cave, the cave shape resembles a mother's womb. The devotees trust that when Mata Vaishno finished off Bhairav and his head flew off into the valley but the body remained in the Ardh Kuwari Cave.

One has to crawl to reach the other end of the Ardhkuwari cave. Once you are on the other side, you can see a big shrine dedicated to the three Goddesses - Maha Kali, Maha Laxmi, and Maha Saraswati. The route is semicircular for you to exit from another opening at a little distance from the route of entry. You can come here through the Jammu tour guide organized by Hellovisit.

Bhairavnath Temple

No trip to Katra is fully accomplished without a visit to Bhairavnath temple. The temple of Bhairavnath is dedicated to Baba Bhairavnath and is built at the site where he is believed to have died. A steep 3km trip from the Bhawan takes you to Bhairavnath temple.

As per the legend, Kaal Bhairav also called Baba Bhairavnath was demolished by Vaishnodevi, and at the time of his last breath, he repented for his sins. The goddess granted forgiveness to him and said that no pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi will ever remain complete without a visit to the Bhairav Temple. You can come here through the Jammu Kashmir travel guide.

The temple shows a picturesque glimpse of the forest-clad mountains. Ponies are also available for the journey in case you are not in a position to climb the steep stairs. There is also a ropeway path from Vaishno Devi Temple to Bhairavnath Temple.

Vaishno Devi Helicopter Yatra

You can get a helicopter for the Vaishno Devi yatra from Katra, the commencing point of the yatra towards Sanjhichatt. 5 to 6 passengers are accommodated at one time while the flight reaches in approximately 8 minutes. The Katra helipad is located at Udhampur Road, at a distance of 2km from the Katra bus stand.

From the Sanjichhat helipad, you do a 30-minute hike to get to the Vaishno Devi Bhawan, at a distance of around 2.5kms. Ponies, Palkis as well as Porter services are also facilitated to reach the Bhawan from Sanjhichatt. The helicopter service is made available through the main website of the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board apart from private companies.