Under the patronage of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi ✨

 

After a break of 5 years, I'm back with a beautiful and reminiscing trip to Shri Mata Vaishnodevi, Katra. It was a long, throned wish to visit the temple, which finally got fulfilled after a wait of 17 years.

As the name suggests, Vaishnodevi is a pilgrimage spot in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, which is amongst the toughest trek pilgrims undertake at 5,200 feet after an arduous journey of 14 kms. Vaishnodevi is one of the incarnations of Goddess Lakshmi. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage spots in India.

So this was a family trip starting from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, through Malwa Express, a direct train departing at 12:15 PM to Katra, taking approximately 30 hours to reach the destination.

We saw scenic landscapes throughout the journey as we crossed 5 states, MP, UP, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab, to finally arrive in Jammu and Kashmir.

We arrived at Katra the next day's evening and headed to our hotel (The Vaishvik), close to the hike's starting point.

Scenic Railway Station at Katra
©Monish Shrivastava

There are two routes for trekking, one starting from Banganga (the older route) and the other from Tarakote (the new route), which is slightly longer but cleaner and safer. It usually takes 6-8 hours uphill and 4-6 hours downhill.

Apart from the trek routes, Bhawan can be reached by helicopter or electric vehicle, which needs to be booked at least 2 months before your planned trip, or else you won't get the booking. Additionally, on the older route, you can get palanquins or horses quickly for a minor charge, a prepaid service of the shrine board.

We began our trek around 8:45 AM through the new route witnessing the scintillating views of the Trikuta Mountains; we got lucky to see the glaciers, a rare summer sight.

To my surprise, the route was tremendously impressive, having washrooms, cold and warm water dispensers and mini stalls of Cafe Coffee Day, Nescafe and Pepsi at every 1.5 kms.

The route also has 4 bhojnalayas serving incredibly delicious food made without onion and garlic; I had heard of Rajma Chawal and wanted to try it, so we had our lunch at around 1:00 PM at the bhojnalaya close to Bhawan. It also has a langar facility at the start of the trek, which operates 24*7, free of cost.

After having the scrumptious food, we departed towards the Bhawan and reached there around 2:30 PM, phones and gadgets were not allowed on the premises; hence we could not capture pictures after getting there.

Bhawan, Shri Mata Vaishnodevi
©Monish Shrivastava

We had darshan in around 1 hour, the aura around the Bhawan was magical, and you could feel positive energy inside you while you are on the premises with the chants of Jai Mata Di!

We left at around 4:30 PM after brunch and reached the langar hall at around 9:00 PM, where we had dinner. 

We witnessed a gorgeous sunset and glittering lights over Katra while returning. 

On the following day, we left for our home.

My experience in Vaishnodevi was very different from the other places I have travelled to; this place has the essence of providing you with extreme positivity with scintillating views, and I am looking forward to visiting again.

Though we missed out on visiting the Bhairav Baba temple, it's a must while seeing Vaishnodevi; as they say, the darshan is complete with visiting the Bhairav Baba temple. 

Tourist attractions close to Katra:

• Baba Dhansar
• Patnitop

Places you can club with your Vaishnodevi Trip:

• Amritsar, Punjab.
• Kullu-Manali, Himachal
• Shimla, Himachal.

Things to remember:

• Irrespective of the time, Vaishno Devi always has its share of visitors. Of course, the best time to visit is during summer when the weather is perfect in the mountains. However, if you visit during the monsoons or winter, you must remember that weather conditions are prone to change.
• Prepaid sims do not work once you enter J&K; you either need to have a postpaid connection, or you can quickly get a Yatri Sim once you reach Katra.
• You will need to register yourself for the Yatra. This can be obtained from Yatra Registration Counter at Katra, and you do not need to pay for the same.
• Carry a comfortable pair of walking shoes if you are trekking to avoid foot blisters.
• Bhawan's main complex has accessible and rented accommodation facilities, vegetarian restaurants, a medical unit, blanket stores, cloakrooms, and shops selling religious offerings and souvenirs.
• Prasad and Khazana are offered to every pilgrim while they exit the Bhawan Premises, free of cost.

Travel responsibly, and please do not pollute the environment! 

I sign off for now and will return with another travel story soon! 

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