More things are Shaped by prayer than the world dreams of.Sheer faith brings in multitudes of people of all ages, races and religions to kowtow before the Goddess, who showers her grace on each of them and grants them their wishes. The pilgrimage requires great fortitude, both physical and mental, as you have to climb mile after mile, uphill, before getting a glimpse of the Goddess. But as they say tough times never last, tough people do? and millions of people make this journey successfully, year after year. So can you!

History
Mata Vaishno Devi represents the collective energies of the three main goddesses of the Hindu religion: Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati. Mata Vaishno Devi took the form of a young girl who spent her days in divine reflection at the base of the Trikuta Mountain, thus empowering herself with great spiritual powers. The following series of events, it is generally agreed, took place around 700 years ago.

Vaishno Devi attended a religious function at the home of a religious Brahmin, Pandit Shridhar. Here, she was subjected to unwanted attention by one of the guests: a demon named Bhairon Nath. Accompanied by two guards, Veer and Langoor, Vaishno Devi ran from the Brahmin?s home and made her way up the Trikuta Hills. At a cave in Darbar, she assumed the form of Kali and cut off Bhairon Nath's head. Such was the force of her fury that the head landed several feet away while the torso remained at the entrance of the cave. However, in death, Bhairon recognised Vaishno Devi to be the Mother Goddess herself and pleaded for mercy. Vaishno Devi forgave the demon and announced that the place where his head lay would become a point of worship. To this day, pilgrims consider their pilgrimage complete only after making the tough climb to Bhairon Nath?s temple, above the main cave.

Meanwhile, Pandit Shridhar recognised Vaishno Devi as a divine being and began searching for her. Guided by divine forces, he located the holy cave nestled in the Trikuta Mountain. There he found a rock form with three heads atop it. These three heads, known as pindis represent the three goddesses Lakshmi, Kali and Saraswati. The Mata then appeared before him in all her glory and asked him to spread the faith to one and all.

How to Reach
Air
From wherever you are, reach Jammu and then take the road to Katra, a small town about 50 km away.

To Jammu
Jammu is connected air to Delhi and Srinagar; by train to all metros and important cities in northern India. There are regular bus services from all major north Indian cities like Amritsar (243 km), Chandigarh (436 km), Delhi (586 km), Srinagar (305 km) and Mansar (62 km).

Jammu to Katra
You can hire cabs from Jammu airport, railway station and the Tourist Reception Centre. Buses leave for Katra every 10 minutes from the main bus stand at Jammu, the first bus is at 5.30 am and the last at 8.30 pm. The journey is about 2 hours, but the terrain is hilly and winding. So if you are prone to nausea and vomiting, then popping a pill is advisable.

Helicopter Service (7 minutes)
There are daily flights from Katra to Sanjichhat, just a couple of kilometers from the holy shrine.If you are driving down in your own vehicle and do not wish to halt at Jammu, then head straight on National Highway No.1A. At Domel, nearly 35 km from Jammu, the road branches off into two; while one heads towards Srinagar the other leads to Katra.

Katra to the Shrine
It?s a 13-km long arduous trek for those unused to regular physical exercise. But most pilgrims do it, so lace up, chant ?Jai Mata Di? and keep walking! If you absolutely can?t, then there are ponies and palanquins that you can ride on. The Notified Area Committee manages these services. All porters, ponies and palanquin owners are registered with the NAC and carry identity cards. Palanquins as well as ponies carry passengers, one at a time, of all age groups up the hill. Porters, or pithoos as they are popularly known, carry children up to 12 years (who are afraid to ride on ponies), light-weight elderly people or luggage up the hill. The rates for all these services are fixed. The charge per pony and per porter is up to Rs. 225. The charge for a palanquin is Rs. 2,075.00. Palanquins can be hired from the Shrine Board assistance counter located at the main bus stand, Katra. Porters/ponies can be hired from Chetak Bhawan located just near the Darshani Darwaza. Do not to pay over and above the fixed rate for these services. A prepaid pony/porter system has also been launched at Chetak Bhawan.

How to Get Around
At Katra
Mini-buses can seat 19 people at a time and follow fixed routes. Autorickshaws are also easily available and you can negotiate the fare. For hiring private cars or cabs for local sightseeing or to visit any tourist destination, contact Travel Agents Association (Tel: 33356, 32044).

Katra to the Holy Shrine
The trek up the hill is tough, but the authorities have made every provision to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims.
• Pilgrims must first register themselves, free of cost, at the Yatra Registration Counter, Tourism Reception Centre, Katra Bus Stand. The trek begins at Katra and pilgrims have to cover 13 km. Those without the registration slip/parchi will not be allowed to proceed up the hill.
• Caps, canvas shoes, sticks, umbrellas and raincoats are available for hire at Chetak Bhawan located just near the Darshani Darwaza. You can also hire porters/ponies from here.
• There are blanket stores at various points along the trek where you can hire blankets against a security deposit.
• The route is wide and brightly lit during night time. It is also cleaned regularly throughout the day.
• There is plenty of police supervision along the path including battalions of paramilitary forces.
• Shelters, cafeterias, drinking water and toilets are available at frequent points through the trek.
• Shrine Board bhojanalays as well as privately run hotels provide hearty meals services provided at pocket-friendly prices.
• Apart from a hospital at Katra, there are basic medical units at Banganga, Adhkwari, Sanjichhat and Bhawan. A dispensary and 24-hr ICU is also available at Bhawan. For advanced medical treatment, however, one has to rush to Jammu.
• On reaching Bhawan, you can refresh yourselves before proceeding to the main shrine. At the highest point near the shrine, produce the registration/parchi slip for being allowed inside the holy shrine.
• Two cloak rooms operate round the clock: at Bhawan and opposite Gate No. 1, where you can deposit our personal belongings and obtain a receipt for the same.
• Mobile phones, cameras and other electronic equipment are not allowed on the hill.
• The bhaint (offerings) for the Goddess must include coconut, mauli (sacred thread), red chunni (headscarf) with gold/silver trimmings, dry fruits, bangles, and incense and vermilion powder. Other offerings include mehndi (henna), supari (areca nut) and chattar (umbrella). There are counters all along the way for buying these at fixed prices.
• You are not allowed to take the coconut inside the shrine. Instead, hand over the coconuts and collect tokens for the same at the entrance. When you come out of the exit, the coconuts are offered to the Goddess and handed back to you.
• Pilgrims chant ?Jai Mata Di? inside the holy shrine: the most popular invocation to the goddess.
• Holy water can be collected while coming out of the exit gate.
• If heading to the Bhairon shrine, which is 2.5 km from Bhawan, then deposit the tokens and collect your belongings from the cloak rooms since the return route is not the same.
What to see
The pilgrimage from Katra to Bhawan is like a piece of priceless jewellery studded with precious stones. The path to the shrine is peppered with places of spiritual significance and also great beauty.
• There are two tracks that lead to the holy shrine. The old track, as it is known, follows the ancient path taken by the Goddess herself. It is steep and requires you to make your way up to Sanjichhat (6,200 ft) and then walk downhill till Bhawan (5,200 ft). In 1994, the Shrine Board commenced the construction of a new wider track that would be shorter and have a gentler gradient. The new track commences at the view point of Indrapastha. Both the old and new tracks are equally well-equipped in terms of facilities, but the latter is more convenient and cleaner since pony treks are not allowed on it.
• Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Adhkwari are the spots along the route that the Goddess took before reaching the cave. On the way she felt thirsty at Banganga and shot an arrow into the earth from where water gushed out. Charan Paduka is where she rested, and you can see two footprints imprinted on a rock. The Goddess then meditated in the cave at Adhkwari.
• The first picturesque spot that you will see is Himkoti, 2.75 km from Adhkwari. It?s a lethal combination of snowy peaks and deep serenity.
• Hathi Matha (forehead of the elephant) is the toughest part of the trek upward that leads up to Sanjichhat.
• Sanjichhat is 3.25 km from Adhkwari. It is also a beautiful place to rest and appreciate the bounties of nature. Inside the holy shrine
• The main shrine is the spot where Vaishno Devi shed her human body before assuming the form of a 5.5-ft tall rock with three heads (called pindis). The pindis represent the three goddesses: Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Maha Saraswati, who together took the form of Vaishno Devi on earth. These pindis are in the sanctum of the holy cave known as the shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.
• There are innumerable images and figurines of divine figures inside the cave. It is believed that every one of the 33 crore gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon attend the daily aarti here. Unfortunately, this ritual is not open to the public.
• Inside the cave, you can one see the Vakra Tund Ganesh close to which are the symbols of Surya and Chandra Dev. Next is the torso of the demon Bhairon Nath. Nearby is the mysterious Charan Ganga, the ever flowing river at the Goddess? feet. You can also later see the cave flaring out to almost rest completely on the mighty Shesh Nag. Inside the cave are symbols of the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh), five Pandavs, the Seven Rishis (Saptarishis), and than (udders or breast) of the divine cow Kamadhenu. On an elevation can be seen the khamba or the pillar that was gripped by Vishnu-devotee Prahlad. A good distance beyond is the Sher Ka Panja, symbolising the lion on which Mata Vaishno Devi Ji rides.
• Immediately opposite the pindis is the natural symbol of Lord Pashupati Nath. At the end, you glimpse launkra, the symbol of Hanuman.
Religious Places
Inside the holy shrine
• The main shrine is the spot where Vaishno Devi shed her human body before assuming the form of a 5.5-ft tall rock with three heads (called pindis). The pindis represent the three goddesses: Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Maha Saraswati, who together took the form of Vaishno Devi on earth. These pindis are in the sanctum of the holy cave known as the shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.
• There are innumerable images and figurines of divine figures inside the cave. It is believed that every one of the 33 crore gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon attend the daily aarti here. Unfortunately, this ritual is not open to the public.
• Inside the cave, you can one see the Vakra Tund Ganesh close to which are the symbols of Surya and Chandra Dev. Next is the torso of the demon Bhairon Nath. Nearby is the mysterious Charan Ganga, the ever flowing river at the Goddess? feet. You can also later see the cave flaring out to almost rest completely on the mighty Shesh Nag. Inside the cave are symbols of the Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh), five Pandavs, the Seven Rishis (Saptarishis), and than (udders or breast) of the divine cow Kamadhenu. On an elevation can be seen the khamba or the pillar that was gripped by Vishnu-devotee Prahlad. A good distance beyond is the Sher Ka Panja, symbolising the lion on which Mata Vaishno Devi Ji rides. Immediately opposite the pindis is the natural symbol of Lord Pashupati Nath. At the end, you glimpse launkra, the symbol of Hanuman.