Paid Darshan at Vaishno Devi Shrine

Got the money, then skip the long queue at Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu. The Vaishno Devi Shrine board has come up with paid darshan or VIP darshan for all those who have the money to buy the special tickets. The paid darshan move hurts millions of poor Hindu devotees who barely manage the travel expenses needed to reach the shrine. The poor devotees are at the shrine to seek the blessings of Vaishno Devi to have a better life. But even at the shrine money rules and poor devotees are pushed back.

Update: Respecting popular demand, the shrine dropped all sort of paid darshans.

The shrine board refers to paid darshan as a tatkal system and is limited to 1000 devotees per day.

* A traditional ‘mata ki aarti’ can be organized inside the sanctum sanctorum at Rs 1000 in the morning
* Skip the long queue and have a darshan of the deity from the Bathing Gate (gate No 2) for Rs 500 per person,
* For darshan through gate no 5 it is Rs 200.
* The paid darshan is also available to pilgrim groups

Several organizations have protested against the paid darshan stating that it will only help the rich.

The shrine board has defended the paid system by saying that it will help those people who have a hectic schedule and want to finish of the darshan in a hurry.

No idea, why such people who are in a hurry visit shrines. Such shortcuts, bought using money power, disturb millions of poor Hindus who stand in long winding queues.

Some might suggest to ignore it, by saying that Vaishno Devi lives in the heart of the people. Or quote Vedanta saying that everything is Brahman and visiting or not visiting a shrine is a non-issue.

All these excuses cannot satisfy a poor villager who spends all his fortune to have a personal conversation with Vaishno Devi. He is not demanding any special treatment, all that he wants is at least not to discriminate him at the abode of Vasihno Devi in the name of money.

Chalo Bulawa Aya Hai Mata Ne Bulaya Hai

"Chalo Bulawa Aya Hai Mata Ne Bulaya Hai," is the usual refrain of one overwhelmed with the irresistible urge. He forgets his past commitments, drops the job on hand and, at the first opportunity, rushes to catch the train to Jammu, the railroad to reach Vaishno Devi.

Over 4.5 million Indians from all parts of the country respond this way to the call of the Mother every year to one of the holiest shrines in northern India. Youngsters hope to fare well in examinations; newlyweds look for conjugal bliss. Some hope to win property cases; others look forward to the blessing of an heir. And some visit Vaishno Devi for no other reason than their wish to see Mata.

Devotees aver that the revered Mata calls out to her followers, and only then can one go to her sublime shrine. An arduous journey up the Trikuta Mountain range and the final darshan (audience) of the Goddess leaves one with staunch faith in Her. It is believed that one can ask the great Mother of Pindi inside Vaishno Devi Holy Cave any needful thing and promise to visit her when the wish is fulfilled. Lakhs of people vouch for the deity's graciousness and visit the shrine in the form of thanksgiving.

The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi is said to have been built by the five Pandavas. The length of the cave is about 98 ft. The symbols of a large number of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon can be seen here. At the mouth of the original tunnel to the holy cave can be seen the symbols of Vakra Tunda Ganesha, Surya Dev and Chandra Dev. When one crawls into the cave through the tunnel, he/she crosses over the Dhadh of Bhairon Nath. The symbol of Lord Hanuman, called Launkra Beer, can also be seen and the pilgrims have to wade through water beyond the Launkra Beer point. Twenty-three feet beyond Launkra Beer, on the upper left-hand side, the roof of the cave flares out and the weight of this overhang appears to be resting on the innumerable heads of Shesh Nag. Immediately below Shesh Nag can be seen the symbols of Shankh, Chakra, Gada and Padam. Higher up, almost touching the ceiling of the cave, are the symbols of the five Pandavas, the Sapt Rishi, the udders of the divine cow, Kamadhenu, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Parvati.


There are several places to see and visit near Vaishno Devi too. The Deva Mai temple is about three miles short of Katra town. Many devotees treat it as a very holy site and go there to perform paeans. The Holy Cave of Shiv Khori is the abode of Lord Shiva, situated at a distance of 70 km from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly a kilometer in length with a four-feet-high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the sanctum sanctorum.

Vaishno Devi Temple can be reached after making a steep 13-km trek from the road head at Katra, the town at the foot of the Trikuta hills. The Indian shrine of Vaishno Devi is easily accessible through air, road and rail from the other major Indian cities and states. Touristplacesinindia can arrange for you all types of transport for your comfortable journey to and in Vaishno Devi and throughout the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In order to make the travel tours to Vaishno Devi even more joyful you need to choose just the right kind of accommodation for you and your family or friends in Vaishno Devi. The various hotels packages in Vaishno Devi offer the best of facilities. You may take your pick from a range of luxury and budget hotels in Vaishno Devi besides the star categorized accommodation hotels around the landmarks of Vaishno Devi offer excellent view of the landmarks through their suites. Most of the places to stay in Vaishno Devi are strategically located in the pilgrim centers.

Planning a pilgrimage tours to Vaishno Devi shrine? Currently, we do not have any all-inclusive tour packages, tours and holiday offers that will make your travel trip to shrine of Vaishno Devi comfortable and enjoyable. Though we can come up with a customized tour package for the shrine of Vaishno Devi that will suit your requirements and budget. As per the nature, duration and the accommodation required during the holiday trip or leisure travel to Vaishno Devi the tour packages vary.

Vaishno devi Tours |Vaishno Devi Temple | Jammu and Kashmir

Deities: Goddess Vaishnavi
Location: Katra, 61-km from Jammu, J&K
Altitude: 1,700m (5,100ft)
Best Time to Visit: March to July and September to October

Faith has moved mountains. From a cave shrine tucked away deep in the Trikuta Mountains of Kashmir the call of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Vaishno Devi is one of the holiest Hindu Pilgrimage sites which are dedicated to Goddess Shakti. The temple is located around 12 km away from Katra in the Udhampur district. The temple is situated at an altitude of 1615 m on the Trikuta Hills of Shivalik Range. Pilgrims, especially Hindus from all over the world visit Vaishno Devi making it the second most visited shrine in India after Tirupati Balaji Mandir.

The Vaishno Devi yatra is probably the most hallowed pilgrimage of Northern India and attracts over five million devotees a year. It entails a 13.5 km trek from Katra, which in turn is 61 km from Jammu. It is situated at an altitude of 1,700m. The abode of the goddess is in the mountains of Trikuta Hills, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in north India.

The Goddess resides in a beautiful cave in the form of three ‘Pindis’ in the name of, “Maha Kali”, “Maha Laxmi” and “Maha Saraswati”. According to legends Goddess Durga has killed the demon Bhairon here. The cave ideally handles just 8 or 10 thousand people a day, as only 12 or 15 people are let into the cave at a time. On the full moon day in Kartika (October/ November) the line to get into the cave can be 4-km long. It is believed that the arm of Goddess Sati fell at this place.

Vaishno Devi only when the Goddess herself wants them to and beckons them. If you are reading this, probably this is your call for making the holiest trip of your life. Come prepared to lose your old self and find the new you who will be more wise and chaste.

Darshan:
The journey amidst snow capped mountains and sprawling forests arise from within the holy shrine of Maa Vaishno Devi. There is a common faith among the folk that Goddess-Vaishno sends a ‘Call’ to her devotees and that once a person receives it, wherever he or she is, marches towards the holy shrine of the great Goddess. A supernatural power seems to draw them through the mountain and they climb up those great heights step by step, chanting

‘Prem se bolo, Jai Mata Di’.

Discovery of the Holy Shrine:
According to a legend the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi was discovered by a Brahmin, Pandit Sridhar about a thousand years ago. He used to live in Hansali village at the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains. One day, as he was grazing cattle, he met a beautiful child, Vaishnavi, on the hills. She urged him to call the people of his village to a feast. By mid-day when his guests arrived he had still not made arrangements for any provisons.

Suddenly, he saw Vaishnavi coming out of his hut and she asked Sridhar to call his guests saying the food was ready. He watched in amazement as all the villagers went inside his small hut and finished their meal. As they left, he called out to young Vaishnavi knowing that the answer to the mystery lay with her. But she was not to be found.

His search for her led him to a cave up a cliff where he thought he spied her. But in vain. As he wept in anguish a light shone on him, and he had a vision: Vaishnavi was transformed into a transcendental beauty with eight arms and astride a lion. She told him she was Shakti and in this cave she was manifested in her three forms of Kali, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Sridhar’s progeny have been worshipping the Goddess in this Holy Cave since those hoary days!


Other Shrines at Vaishno Devi:
Bhumika Temple
Ban Ganga Temple
Charan Paduka Temple
Ardh Kuwari
The Sri Ram Temple
The Bhairon (Bhairav) Temple

How to reach:
Vaishno Devi is located 14-km from the town of Katra and 52-km north of Jammu. Katra is situated at 2,800 feet and takes about 2 hours to reach from Jammu by bus.
by Air: The nearest airport is in Jammu, which is 48-km from Katra. There is a helicopter service that departs from the airport at Sanjhi Chat in Jammu in the morning.
by Rail: The nearest railway station is in Jammu, which is well connected to all the major cities in India.
by Road: There are regular buses leaving for the 52-km trip from the central bus stand in Jammu to where the road ends at Katra (2 hr). Walking From Katra it is a steep 13-km walk. You can rent a horse or be carried up from Katra. You can go up to the cave and back in the same day. It takes about 4 hours to climb up and 3 hours to come down. Pilgrims must get a Yatra- Slip from the tourist reception center near the bus stand in Katra to get passes Ban Ganga. It is hard climb to Vaishno Devi.

Visit www.vaishnodevitours.in for more information on Temples, Ashrams, Gurus, Festival and Daily Panchangam (Hindu ephemeris).

If you love to read visit http://vaishnodevi-tours.blogspot.com/ for Religious stories.

Last but not least, if you want to visit above Holy Pilgrimage, please contact and visit our associate partner http://vaishnodevi-tours.blogspot.com/ and e-mail at vdhtst803@gmail.com 

Vaishno Devi bawan in Google Earth

 

Bhawan Maa Vaishno Devi Ka 

Vaishno Devi Trip | Vaishno Devi Tour

Jai Mata Di!
My small vacation finally ended when I returned from Jambutabi yesterday. It was a memorable trip, had lots of fun. I went to the Holy Shrine along with my friends. I will put this as a part by part story.
Gurgaon to Jammu: My friends were coming from Jaipur, they had already boarded the train from Jaipur, I was to board in the way from Gurgaon. They train was an hour late from the originating station itself, and kept on getting late and late, and reached my station an hour and thirty minutes late. I finally got in the train and we moved to the Delhi station, where we had our dinner. Then the journey started towards Jammu. The journey was quite OK. Got quite cold once we got into Punjab in the early morning. And finally the train got to the Jammu Tawi station at around ९:30am.

Jammu to Katra: You have to goto Katra to visit the Vaishno Devi Shrine. Katra is like 50-70 kms away from Jammu and takes around 2 hours journey. Various modes of transport were available, we started off with the Pre Paid Taxis, but came out to be quite costly, so we decided to go in the Deluxe buses run by the J&K Govt. Jammu is a great place. Every now and then you could spot a military soldier patrolling the area and some occasional caravans of the Indian Army moving along the roads. The hill section just before Katra was quite scary. Narrow roads and deep pits make you feel scared. Better not to look down. To make it worse the buses didn’t slow down enough to make us feel comfortable and turned on the steep turns at scary pace, with vehicles coming from the opposite direction as well, I know its a daily routine for them…but for goodness sake…pity us! Well I took a deep breath when we finally got out of the hill section to the city area. The bus was stopped before entering the place and all the passengers were requested to get off the bus and get their baggage checked for security. It took 10 minutes for the inspection, and then the journey started again. We finally reached a rain drenched Katra city, got off the bus at around 1:15pm. First got ourselves registered, then went to a hotel, checked in and relaxed for a while. Its compulsory for everyone going to the temple to get registered.
Katra to temple: At around 3:00 we got ready, ate lunch, and started the climb towards the Bhawan, the place where the main temple is. The whole mountain was covered in thick fog over the top area. We got some snacks and liquids for the journey and began climbing. For older people there were the options of horse ride and palkhi. There were lots of shops around the path. We reached Adhkawari diversion, took some 5 minute halt and then moved towards Bhawan. By this time we had climbed around 2300 ft. and 6 kms. It wasn’t so cold here as expected, in fact we were sweating. But once we got to some serious height, the temperatures started dropping. From this diversion there were no shops, and no horses were allowed ahead from this route, they had to take another route from the Adhkawari area. We continued on the Bhawan route. And it kept on getting darker and darker and when we got to Himkoti (8.5 kms, 5120 ft.) it was so foggy we could hardly see anything beyond some meters. But the scene down the pit was lovely. We could see the lights of the Katra town glowing, and the clouds were below us with occasional lightning thunders. And by this time it was getting a lot colder. And once we got to the other side of the mountain a heavy gush of cool wind blew on us. Brrrr…it was chilly! We had a cup of coffee, some rest before we moved on. The best part of this climb is that you get a coffee & snacks counter every now and then, so that you don’t feel the chill. We again started the climb, went through some security checks and finally reached the Bhawan at around 8 pm(13 kms, 5200 ft. means we climbed 2700 ft.). By now it was raining quite heavily, but we didn’t get wet thanks to the shelter. We got our number for darshan, and went to the lockers area, where we kept our bags and shoes, but the moment we put our barefoot on the wet floor, brrr….we were in for a shocker. The floor and water was icy cold, you could barely stand still on the foot. We kept on changing the balance from one foot to the other. And got into the temple, but still the carpets were all wet inside, and still it was icy cold, and after sometime the feet lost sense. We didn’t feel all the cold anymore, and we got through some more security checks and finally got to the main place where the pindis are. They come to your left, and if this is the first time you are here, you are bound to miss it. One of our friends had been here previously and told us to quickly see on to your left. I wondered why he said quickly. Little did I know that I wont be allowed to stand there even for some seconds. Just a quick glance and the security asked us to move. Now I know why he said quickly! Well anyways we got the prasad, and then thought of whether to goto the Bhairon Nath’s temple. It was a further 1.5 kms away, but the altitude for 1419 ft. more. And with the weather going worse we decided not to go there and started our way back. Although according to the legend the goddess herself said that in order to complete the pilgrimage, one should also visit this temple. But we had no choice and had to come back. Next time we will go though.

Bhawan to Katra: We started our way back at around 10. We thought that the return journey will be relatively easy, but little did we know that the downhill was even as difficult. You had to slow down every time the slope went steep. And holding yourselves for 3 years means a lot of work for your leg muscles. We finally got down to Katra at around 1:30am. We didn’t have the strength to even have our dinner and finally went to the hotel, put the legs in some hot water and hit the sack! We woke up the next morning at around 11, still feeling tired, and had the lunch got ready and went back to the Jammu Railway Station.

Katra to Jammu: We thought of using the same bus service like last time. But 2 of our friends thought of otherwise. We chose to go by a taxi, as it wont be high enough to let us see down from that ghat section. We finally got to the Jammu station at 5:30 in the evening and waited for the train which was scheduled to depart at 8:30pm.

Jammu to Delhi: We had our dinner and slept in the train as we all were still tired. Reached New Delhi station in the morning at around 7. Took the Metro train for our friend’s relatives. Had breakfast and then went for some shopping in the day.
Delhi to Gurgaon, Jaipur and back: We then went to my house in Gurgaon, had some snacks and coffee and went to Jaipur for my Holi. Although I don’t play Holi, I haven’t played for 9 years now. But enjoyed my time with friends and came back after 2 days to my home.

The vacation finally got over and back to the same old routine. It was a memorable trip. If anyone who is reading this plans to goto the place. Do visit the official website for more information, suggestions and tips. The official website is http://www.vaishnodevitours.in/
Jai Mata Di!
Vaishno Devi Tour Booking

i saw vaishno devi (माता के दर्सन किये वो भी साक्छात)

Dhyanamrita : माता के दर्सन किये वो भी साक्छात
yesterday there was a padapuja by a lady and her mother who is in her 80s. they did the puja with great devotion. after the puja the lady talked to me. she introduced her mother.
the old lady was planning to go to vaishno devi, the famous devi temple in jammu, at a height of 5200 feet above the sea level. you have to walk 14 km up mountains to reach this famous devi temple. recently she had a heart surgery, so she could not make it to vaishno devi.
but her daughter, who is from mumbai, told her that she was going to amma and invited her to come to amritapuri. the mother agreed. so she was here, doing padapuja with her daughter. she was meeting amma for the first time.  “i could not go to vaishno devi, but i saw vaishno devi and did puja to her”.
the old lady was in bliss.


Ammabindu माता के दर्सन किये वो भी साक्छात
When i was 13 my family decided to go to Vaishno Devi. But just the day we were to leave i fell sick and everyone except me went. i felt so deprived of the opportunity and over the years i kept asking Her mentally why it happened this way. But then i reached AMMA. And from the moment Amma held me in Her arms i knew that i had reached MY DIVINE GODDESS in Human form. I could not go to Her but My MOTHER had come down for me! And then when i saw AMMA sing Mata Rani and then Khol Darwajja it just double confirmed SHE IS MY VAISHNO DEVI and SHE knows my every thought..
Khol darwajja Sherawaliyeni Maha Raniyeni De darshan jwala.. kar de pagat pukaar japan tere naam di mala ..Khol darwajja Sherawaaliye…
JAI MATA DI!!!!
माँ सबकी मुराद पूरी करे
माँ वैष्णो देवी दरसन 
Vaishno Devi helocopter Booking

History of Maa Vaishno Devi

During the time when the Goddesses were destroying the evil Asuras (demons), Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati pooled their collective strength and sent a divine child – Vaishnavi (Vaishno Devi) to earth. She was born to a family in the southern part of the country – to Ratnakar and his wife. The purpose was to maintain righteousness in the world and then eventually merge into Lord Vishnu. This child was truly gifted and went deep into the forests and kept on praying and meditating.

During the exile period when Lord Rama (form of Lord Vishnu) visited the forest and happened to meet Vaishnavi, she recognized him immediately and asked him to merger her into himself. Lord Rama told her that the time was not right and that he would visit her again after his exile period was over. He did so but in the form of an old man and Vaishnavi couldn’t recognize him at that time. When she got to know the truth she was quite disappointed. Lord Rama consoled her and told her that the appropriate time had yet not come. He asked her to meditate and set up an ashram at the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains – to elevate her level of spirituality, meditate and bless the mankind and rid the poor and destitute of their sufferings. He said that he would come in ‘Kaliyug’ and that would be in the form of ‘Kalki’. On hearing this Vaishnavi immediately setoff to the north and reached the foothills of Trikuta after a lot of hardships. She set up an ashram and began meditating.



People started flocking her ashram to seek her blessing. While this happened, a tantric named Gorakh Nath who had the vision of the entire episode between Lord Rama and Vaishnavi became curious about the level of spirituality Vaishnavi had attained. He sent his disciple ‘Bhairon Nath’ to know about the truth. Bhairon Nath secretly started observing Vaishnavi. One thing he couldn’t understand was that though being a sadhavi Vaishnavi carried a bow and arrows with her. Also, she was surrounded by Langoors and a ferocious looking lion. He got enamored by Vaishnavi’s beauty and took a fancy to her. But Mata spurned his advances and fled to the mountains to continue her spiritual quest.
On her way when she felt thirsty at Banganga she shot an arrow into the earth from where the water gushed out. At Charan Paduka she rested for a while – which is marked by the imprints of her feet. Then at Adhkuwari she meditated in the cave. She is also known as ‘Adhkuwari’ or the ‘eternal virgin’. Bhairon took nine months to locate her and when found her Mata blasted an opening at the other end of the cave with her trident and fled to the holy cave at the Darbar (temple). Bhairon followed her till there to harass her. The Goddess then became very angry and assumed the form of Mata Kali and beheaded Bhairon outside the cave. The severed head of Bhairon feel at a distant hilltop i.e. the Bhairon Ghati now. In his dying moments, Bhairon begged and received divine forgiveness from the Goddess. She had mercy on him and gave him a boon that every devotee of hers would have to have the darshan of Bhairon (at the temple there) after the darshan of the Goddess. Only then would their yatra be complete.

It is still believed that the yatra isn’t complete unless the pilgrim has been to Bhairon ka mandir after the darshan of Mata at the main Darbar. The Bhairon temple is about 2.5 kms from the main temple of Mata Vaishno Devi. The climb from the main temple to the Bhairon temple is the most difficult one.

It is believed that after killing Bhairon, the Goddess then shed her human form and transformed herself in the form for a rock and got immersed in meditation forever. Thus Vaishnavi (Vaishno Devi) is in the form of a 5.5 feet tall rock with three heads (Pindis) on the top. This is considered to be the holiest of the Pindis manifesting the Mata in her three forms – Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati – each form representing a particular attribute. The combination of these three attributes in a single form is indeed a unique combination.


Maha Kali represents Tamas Guna – Tamas meaning darkness. She protects her devotees against fear and gives them limitless peace.


Maha Lakshmi represents Rajas Guna – Rajas meaning prosperity. She blesses her devotees with wealth and prosperity.


Maha Saraswati represents Sattav Guna – Sattav meaning wisdom and knowledge. She enables her devotees to distinguish between good and bad and help them to adopt the right path in life.

After our visit to Vaishno Devi we headed back to Pathankot and then to Ludhiana. Stayed at Ludhiana overnight and bought woollens the next day – the cost was quite cheap as compared to here and then headed to Delhi to catch a flight on the 10th of July.
That was a quick journey. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading this travelogue.
Vaishno Devi Tour