VAISHNO DEVI | TEMPLES, PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO VAISHNO DEVI

At a distance of 18 km from Katra Railway Station, Vaishno Devi Temple is a sacred Hindu temple situated in the temple town of Vaishno Devi near Katra in Jammu & Kashmir, India. It is one of the most popular places of pilgrimage in Jammu & Kashmir, and among the must include places Vaishno Devi Yatra.

Located on the slopes of Trikuta Hills, the Vaishno Devi Temple is dedicated to Maa Vaishno Devi, a folk manifestation of the Hindu Mother Goddess, Durga. Popularly known as Mata Rani, Vaishnavi, and Trikuta, goddess Vaishnavi was formed from the combined energies of Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. Vaishno Devi is said to be Moonh Maangi Muradein Poori Karne Wali Mata (the mother who fulfills the wishes of her children). Vaishno Devi Temple is one of the richest temples in India with annual receipts of almost 16 billion dollars and is also among the top places to visit near Jammu.

According to legend, Vaishno Devi was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and she used to meditate .....

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At a distance of 6 km from Katra Railway Station, and 10 km from Vaishno Devi Temple, Ban Ganga is a sacred place situated near Vaishno Devi, Katra in Jammu & Kashmir, India. Located on the way to Vaishno Devi Temple from Katra, it is one of the holy places to visit in Vaishno Devi.

Ban Ganga is a sacred river where devotees in Katra like to take a dip before continuing the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra. Originating from the southern slope of the Shivalik Range of the Himalayas, Ban Ganga River has two ghats where a large number of Hindu devotees take a holy dip. Ban Ganga is an important tributary of the Chenab River and got its name from two words, Ban meaning Arrow, and Ganga which stands for the sacred river of India, Ganges.

The river has spiritual significance for Hindu Vaishnava and other devotees. According to the legend, Once Mata Vaishnavi was going towards her abode in the cave when the monkey accompanying her felt thirsty. With no water around, the goddess shot an arrow .....

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At a distance of 6 km from Katra Railway Station, and 9 km from Vaishno Devi Temple, Charan Paduka is a sacred place situated near Ban Ganga in Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Located on the way to Vaishno Devi Temple from Katra, it is one of the popular Vaishno Devi places to visit.

Charan Paduka is the second stop of the trek that takes you to the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as Bhavan. While Banganga is the first stop. Situated about 1.5 km from Banganga, the temple houses the footprints of Mata Vaishno Devi. Legend says that this white temple is believed to be the place where Mata Vaishno Devi stopped over to check if she was still being chased by Bhairon Nath, the disciple of Mahayogi Guru Goraksh Nathji. She stood on a rock to look at Bhairav Nath before her escape and this rock supposedly contained her footprints.

Located at an altitude of 3380 feet, the temple was earlier a small shrine but now it has been transformed into a scenic and large temple. In the .....

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At a distance of 4 km from Charan Paduka, 6 km from Vaishno Devi Temple, and 12 km from Katra Railway Station, Ardhkuwari is a cave temple situated in Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Located on the way to Vaishno Devi Temple from Katra, it is one of the popular places to visit during Vaishno Devi Tour.

After having darshan of Charan Paduka, pilgrims come across the Ardha Kunwari Temple. Perched at an altitude of 4800 feet, Adkuwari is the halfway point of the Mata Vaishno Devi trek as it is situated at a distance of nearly 6 km from Katra town, and the Holy Cave as well. Adkuwari is one of the most important temples in Katra, second only to the main Cave Bhavan. The word Adkuwari is believed to have come from Adi kumari, which means 'The Eternal Virgin'.

According to the legend, Mata Vaishno Devi took shelter in this cave while meditating for nine months. The exact spot where she is believed to have meditated is located at the right-hand side inside the cave and is shaped .....

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At a distance of 2.5 km from Ardhkuwari, 4 km from Vaishno Devi Temple, and 15 km from Katra Railway Station, Himkoti is a viewpoint situated near Ardhkuwari on a new route. Located on the way to Vaishno Devi Temple from Katra, it is one of the popular tourist places in Vaishno Devi.

Himkoti doesn't have any religious significance. It is visited by the tourists because Himakoti viewpoint provides a view of the entire valley, a view that every visitor loves and cherishes on his way back home. The spot is very clean and beautiful. Take some time out from your pilgrimage and admire the natural beauty of Himkoti. It is also a great place to relax and have a picnic with the family.

Himkoti is being developed with picturesque gardens, an artificial lake, and a meditation center by the Shrine Board as this vantage point falls on the new route to the holy cave from Katra. The new track starts from just below Ardhkuwari and terminates just short of Bhavan Complex. This route is 0.5 .....

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At a distance of 5 km from Ardhkuwari, 5 km from Vaishno Devi Temple, and 17 km from Katra Railway Station, Bhairavnath Temple is a sacred place in Vaishno Devi. Located on the way to Vaishno Devi Temple from Katra, it is one of the must include places in the Vaishno Devi trip.

No journey to Vaishno Devi, Katra is complete without having visited Bhairavnath Mandir. The cave temple of Bhairavnath is dedicated to Baba Bhairavnath and is constructed at the site where he is believed to have breathed his last. The temple is situated at the adjacent hill of Trikuta at an elevation of 2017 m. A havan kund marks as an important attraction at Bhairon Temple, the ashes of which are considered holy.

According to legend, Vaishno Devi was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and she used to meditate in a cave. It is said that Bhairon Nath saw the young Vaishno Devi at an agricultural fair and fell madly in love with her. Vaishno Devi fled into Trikuta hills to escape his amorous advances, .....

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At a distance of 28 km from Katra Railway Station, Dera Baba Banda Bahadur is a guudwara situated at Dera Baba Banda village near Katra. Located on the banks of River Chenab, it is one of the popular places to visit near Katra.

Dera Baba Banda Bahadur is a historical Gurudwara dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh's favorite Baba Banda Bairaagi. The complex is 300 years old and houses the ashes of the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur. Baba Banda was the commanding soldier of the Guru Gobind Singh's army. He was rewarded with a bow, an arrow, and a sword by Guru Sahib. He spent his last days here. The place houses these historical relics of the saint soldier.

Built with white marbles, the architectural designs and layout of the monastery are really appreciable. The interior walls of the Gurudwara are beautifully textured with golden shades. The Gurudwara also has a Nishan Sahib made of deodar tree which is about 48 feet tall. The scenic beauty and lush green landscapes of the village attract .....

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At a distance of 14 km from Katra Railway Station, Baba Dhansar is a religious place situated at Karua village near Katra. Located on the way to Salal Dam, it is one of the top places of pilgrimage in Jammu & Kashmir, and among the must-visit places as part of the Vaishno Devi tour.

Situated right by the beautiful Karua Jheel, Baba Dhansar temple is dedicated to serpent god Dhansar Baba. As per the legend, there was a demon who lived near Karua Jheel(lake) in ancient times and created havoc and destruction in their lives. The villagers sought the help of Baba Dhansar, the son of Vasudev, the serpent king. When the villagers asked for help from Baba, he prayed to Lord Shiva, who in turn agreed to help him kill the demon. After the demon was killed, the villagers constructed a Nag temple and a Cave temple in honor of Baba Dhansar, and Lord Shiva respectively.

Apart from the beautiful temple, there is a huge spring that emerges from the rocks in a thick grove of trees and forms .....

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At a distance of 80 km from Katra, and 140 km from Jammu, Shiv Khori is a temple situated at Sangar village in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is one of the famous pilgrimage sites in Jammu & Kashmir, and among the best places to visit near Jammu.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Shiv Khori is one of the famous Hindu cave shrines devoted to Lord Shiva. Khori means cave (Guffa) and Shiv Khori thus denotes Shiva's cave. This natural cave is about 200 meters long and only a meter in width, with a ceiling of 2 to 3 meters in height. Only one or two people can walk in a file in this cave and at the end of it, there is a 4 feet high Swayambhu Lingam, which constantly baths in a milky lime fluid dripping from the ceiling.

The cave is a real wonder to be seen which according to the people is unending and believed to have led to Swami Amarnath Cave in Kashmir. As per the assessment of local people, it measures nearly half a kilometer in length but Yatries are allowed to .....

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