Vaishno Devi shrine is situated at an altitude of 5200 ft above sea level & at a distance of approximately 12 kms (7.45 miles) from Katra & 61 kms from Jammu in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It is nestled in the Trikuta Mountain & is one of the most revered places of worship in Northern India. This holy Shrine dedicated to Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani/Vaishnavi or Shakti in Hinduism is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess. There are 3 Goddesses worshipped here namely-MahaLaxmi, MahaSaraswati and MahaKali. The temple is located on the hill of Vaishno Devi in Udhampur district of the state. The journey towards the Temple begins from here on foot on a 12 kms long stretch  with lakhs of devotees singing & chanting hymns to the goddesses. The entire route is quite wide and tiled. Besides, the whole path is lit up every night by powerful sodium vapour lamps. The entire route is cleaned from time to time throughout the day. Shelter cum sheds and shelter cum cafeterias are setup throughout the route. Pure vegetarian food is available at these outlets. Drinking water has been made available all along the route with water coolers & storage facilities. Millions of pilgrims visit this temple every year to pay obeisance regardless of their faith, creed or class, caste or religion & it is the second most visited religious shrine in India after Tirupati Balaji Mandir.
Languages spoken here are Hindi & English.

Best For:
Vaishno Devi is best known for the religious & pious significance of the place. There is a certain aura & serenity about the place which attracts tourists from all over.

The Climate here is of high altitude & generally cold. The shrine is visited throughout the year but owing to snowfall in winter, the path can get difficult. The heaviest rush is during the Navratri periods-March-April and September-October.
Carrying woolen clothing at anytime of the year is recommended as it gets cold during the night.

All foreign visitors are required to carry a passport valid at least for 6 months. Special restrictions apply to Pakistani and Afghan nationals.  All foreigners entering J&K state are required to register their arrival & departure with the Foreigners’ Registration Office.

In order to visit the Holy Shrine of Vaishno Devi, one has to reach Katra, a small town situated around 50 kms. from Jammu.  Katra serves as the base camp for the yatra (journey). Katra is well connected to Jammu and Jammu in turnt is well connected to the rest of the country by Air, Rail, and Road.

By Air:
The nearest Airport is Jammu which is 48 kms. from Katra. Daily flights are available from Delhi & Srinagar. Indian Airline flights connect Chandigarh & Amritsar on some days of the week.

By Rail:
The nearest Railway station is Jammu  Jammu is not only directly connected to the metros but also to the other major cities of India.

By Road:
Jammu is the terminus of a large number of Inter State Bus Services. Buses leave for Katra every 10 minutes from the main bus stand at Jammu between 5.30 am to 8.30 pm. JKSRTC runs buses and luxury coaches from the Jammu railway station to Katra. Private taxis are also available for hire between Jammu and Katra. Excellent road network makes Katra well linked with north Indian towns like Amritsar, Jallandhar, Patiala, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jwalaji & Srinagar.

Local Transport:
Vaishno Devi is very well connected by a network of roads & road transport to all major towns of the state & surrounding areas.
Luxury coaches/taxis for local sight-seeing or any tourist destination can be hired by contacting special tourist Taxi Association. Scooter/Rikshaws are also easily available from all points.

As this is a piligrimage centre, there are places related to the same to see in Vaishno Devi:
The Yatra begins at Katra and pilgrims have to cover 12 km. of terrain on foot to reach the main temple.
One kilometer away from Katra is Banganga, place where Mata quenched her thirst.
After 6 kms., of trekking it is Adhkawari the holy cave where Mata meditated for nine months.
After 9.5 km., one would reach Sanji Chhat where tourists can rest for sometime. Accommodation is also available at this place. Bhawan is just 3.5 km. away.
The Deva Mai temple is about three miles short of Katra town.
Aghar Jitto:  Just 5 km away from Katra is Aghar Jitto the Shrine of Baba Jitto, a devotee of Mata Vaishno Devi and a revolutionary who led a campaign against the feudal order. According to legends, a dip in the holy spring water, flowing in front of the shrine, does miracles to pre-natal women for safe delivery of children. A path from here leads to Shri Vaishno Devi.
Pindian: A few miles away from Katra is Pindian at the foot of the Trikuta range. This spot is also dedicated to Vaishno Devi & holds lot of reverence.

Where To Eat:

There are few good restaurants down in Katra which serve delicious vegetarian food.

Where To Stay:

At Katra, there are several options to stay:

Yatri Niwas managed by the Shrine Board, Rest houses maintained by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, Sarais managed by the Shrine Board offer free accommodation at Adhkawari, Sanji Chatt and Darbar. Dharamshalas, run by various organizations offer inexpensive accommodation to pilgrims.

Hotel Jai Maa Inn, Hotel Asia Vaishno Devi, Hotel Mount View are a few other places where tourists can stay.

 

 

 

There are some extremely beautiful places nearby Vaishno Devi.
Jammu: The Winter capital of the state is also known as the city of temples & is worth visiting for its pristine beauty.

Shiv Khori: This Holy Cave is the abode of Lord Shiva situated at a distance of 70 km from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen & measures nearly a kilometer in length with a four-feet-high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the sanctum sanctorum.

Patnitop: Patnitop is idyllic spot for recharging your batteries and relaxing with nature.

Dera Baba Banda: The sacred shrine of Dera Baba Banda a favourite ‘Saint Soldier’ of Guru Gobind Singh is situated at a distance of 30 km from Katra. It is a major Hindu-Sikh pilgrimage center.
The temple of Baba Dhansar is dedicated to Lord Shiva & is located at a distance of about 15 km from Katra on way to Salal Dam.

Kargil: 204 kms from Srinagar, it is the second largest urban centre of Ladakh and headquarters of the district of same name. It is also now famous for the War that India bravely won in the year 1999.

 Leh: Lapped in the snow-covered fringes of the Himalayas, Leh has been the center of Tibeto-Buddhist culture since ages & is an extremely beautiful place to visit.

Vaishno Devi holds a lot of importance in terms of religious significance & is mostly taken as a stand lone trip by piligrims. It can otherwise also be covered as a stop point in the tour of the state of Jammu & Kashmir.