On arrival at Jammu railway station proceed to
Hotel for Over Night. Afternoon local sightseeing in
Jammu. Over Night at Jammu
Leave early in the morning 2 ½ Hrs drive to Katra and
check in at Hotel. After refresh leave immediately for
Mata Devi Darshan.
Mata Darshan begins at Katra and pilgrims have to cover 13 km of
terrain on foot to reach the Darbar. One kilometer away from
Katra, is Banganga, place where Mata.
The Vaishno Devi shrine is nestled in the Trikuta Mountain. It
lies 61 km north of Jammu in the northern state of Jammu and
Kashmir. Perched at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level,
Vaishno Devi is a cave in the lower Himalayas. Katra, the town
at the foot of the Trikuta hills is the base camp for the
Vaishno Devi shrine. Katra is 48 km from Jammu, 650 km from
Delhi (via Una), 520 km from Udhampur, 410 km from Chandigarh
and 80 km from Patnitop The shrine is visited all through the
year, but the path is difficult during the winters when the
route is often blocked by snowfall.
Ban Ganga Temple
After the goddess left the Bhumika Temple, she went to the
Trikuta Hills passing through here. At this time, Langoor Vir
(Veer Langur) felt thirsty. The goddess shot an arrow into the
stone and a holy river was produced, now known as Ban Ganga. It
is called Ban Ganga because the goddess washed her hair at this
place. Most pilgrims take bath here. You must show the slip you
got near the Bus Stand in Katra to pass this point. Ban Ganga is
about 3 km from Katra.
Charan Paduka Temple
This is where the goddess stopped for some time while Bhairon
was chasing her. Her footprints are supposed to be visible on a
stone at this place. Charanpaduka means "holy footprints". It is
about 1.5 km from Ban Ganga at 3,380 feet.
Ardh Kuwari
Ardh Kuwari is the halfway point, and some pilgrims stay
here for the Nights. There is a 15-foot-long cave called Garbha
Joon where the goddess hid herself for nine months and showed
herself to a saint. The cave is narrow, and you have to almost
crawl all the way through it. When Bhairon entered the cave, the
goddess made a new opening with her trident and ran away. Ardh
Kuwari is 4.5 km from Charan Paduka and 4,800 ft above sea
level.
Return to
the hotel during the mid Nights/early morning and
Over Night at Hotel.
Morning free for personal activities. Drive to Jammu
railway station to connect onwards destination train. |