Sunday, February 8, 2009

Vaishno Devi

7:05 AM by santosh ·

Vaishno Devi occupies a crucial place among all the pilgrimage places of India and is most popular for the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi which is located here. It is a highly revered shrine located at a height of more that five thousand feet in the Trikuta Hills of the Shivalik Range. Vaishno Devi is also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi and is the second most visited one after the Tirupati Balaji temple of Andhra Pradesh. A large number of devout pilgrims drop in to this holy temple to seek the blessings of the goddess and include newly weds, vacationers and family holidaymakers. The temple dedicated to the goddess is the main tourist attraction in Vaishno Devi and is at a distance of thirteen kilometers from Katra. The pilgrims pay a visit to this shrine which is in a hundred feet long cave with a narrow opening. A subtle presence of spirituality infuses even the most reluctant tourist with zest as he embarks on the difficult journey to catch a glimpse of the deity. The tourism in Vaishno Devi is gaining immense popularity due to the presence of this holy shrine and its picturesque and serene locale. There are certain mythological associations relating to the goddess according to which she was born as a young girl of unusual beauty and vigor, out of the jointly pooled 'Tejas' of many 'Devtas' (gods) and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. The pressing need of the conception of the goddess was the destruction of Asura (Devil) Mahishasura. Conversely, another purpose was that she could introduce on earth an era of sanctimonious and ascetic life so that harmony could exist upon the world so that she could attain higher levels of spirituality through penance and in the end merge with Vishnu.
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Apart from the main shrine of Vaishno Devi, there are several other shrines also that are worth paying a visit and include Bhumika Temple, Ban Ganga Temple, Charan Paduka Temple, Ardh Kuwari and The Bhairon (Bhairav) Temple. Make your trip to Vaishno Devi a memorable event by staying at the right kind of accommodation. There are several good quality lodging options that are available here for the tourists. Hotels are also available in the nearby towns such as Jammu and Katra. A few well known hotels include - Hotel Asia Shripati in Katra, and Hotel Jammu Tawi and Hotel Jammu Ashok in Jammu. Vaishno Devi is well-linked by air, rail and road and can be reached by any of the three modes. The nearest airport is in Jammu and flights are available for Delhi, Srinagar and Leh from here. Jammu is well-connected by a large number of trains with the important destinations of India such as Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Road network is well maintained and you can reach here from the major north Indian towns easily.
Vaishno Devi is one of the holiest pilgrimage places of north India and is visited by innumerable tourists all the year round. Nestled in the Trikuta Hills at an altitude of 5300 feet, it is a fascinating place truly worthy of a visit. The holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located in a cave having an approach route of thirteen kilometers. People from all walks of life come here to seek the blessings of the divine goddess and have their wishes fulfilled. The pilgrims reciting the holy refrains fill the atmosphere with religious fervor and encourage the pilgrims to proceed on the tough climb upwards. Touristplacesinindia.com offers valuable inputs about Vaishno Devi that would be of great help to those who are planning for a tour to Vaishno Devi.
Fast Facts
Best time to visit
Throughout the year (except winter season)
Famous as
Pilgrimage center of Hindus
Languages
Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri and English
STD Code
01991
History of Vaishno Devi:There are several legends behind the origin of this goddess and has been described in the “Durga Sapatshati”. The goddess was born as a young girl having unique strength and beauty that was resulted from the ‘Tejas’ (powers) of various ‘Devtas’ and Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, the three lords. She took birth in the house of Ratnakar as his daughter and was named Vaishnavi. The remarkable intellectual qualities displayed by her amazed everybody and she had an unending thirst for knowledge that no formal teaching could gratify. She started searching her inner self and concluded that only meditation can lead to the fulfillment of her quest. She gave up the material comforts and went deep into the forest for penance and meditation.
Another legend associated with her creation is the destruction of Asura (Devil) Mahishasura. She was also sent to earth as a messenger of peace and harmony and eventually she merged with Vishnu after sincere meditation and penance. In the present day, the shrine is visited by hordes of tourists all the year round and is also growing in popularity among the foreign tourists. Best Season, Climate and Clothing:Vaishno Devi can be visited all the year round, but the pilgrimage is usually undertaken by the devotees in the winter season, i.e., from October to February. Navaratri is the time when thousands of devout pilgrims from all over the country line up the long mountain roads to catch a glimpse of the deity.

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