Once in a while human soul seeks peace and tranquility. 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.
