Vaishno Devi Travel Blog – Destination Guide to one of India’s favorite pilgrimage
Vaishno Devi, the name resembles divinity and has been one of the most favorite pilgrimages for both Indians and foreign tourists traveling to India. Every year there are thousands and lacs of people visiting this holy place in the Jammu district near Katra to offer prayers to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. In this Vaishno Devi Travel Blog – Destination Guide to one of India’s favorite pilgrimage, we will talk about all things you need to know before you plan your visit here. From how to reach, to the places to stay, to the different modes of transport to the temple to our experiences of this trip, it’s going to be a long but an informative one for sure. Let’s begin.
History of Vaishno Devi:
Vaishno Devi has history dated to Treta Yuga when the earth was overburdened by the evil rule of the demons and in order to protect the world from this evil Goddess Vaishnavi was created which was a combination of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. The combination of the energy of all these three Goddesses helped earth be free from the wrath of the evils. Goddess Vaishnavi lived and helped all those in need.
View this post on Instagram
However as she helped others she was approached by Bhairon Nath who was a disciple of a local saint. Bhairon Nath pursued Goddess Vaishnavi who in order to escape his unwanted attention took shelter in a cave in and meditated there for 9 months. But once Bhairon found the whereabout of Goddess Vaishnavi and tried to approach her again she took the form of Kali and headed Bhairon. His head fell off to a different place which later took form of Bhairon Baba Temple situated close to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. Goddess Vaishnavi later took form of 3 rocks which resides here till date in the shrine. Each rock represents Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali.
Best time to visit Vaishno Devi:
Vaishno Devi is popular for the visitors all through out the year. While the summers witness a rise in the number of visitors especially during the summer vacation time, for all those planning to walk up to the shrine prefer winters. The best time to visit Vaishno Devi is between September to February every year. However winters can be really harsh when its snowing most of the time when the helicopter services are also affected.
How to reach Vaishno Devi Temple:
Vaishno Devi Temple can be reached from Katra either by foot, by battery auto or by helicopter services by professional service providers. Katra is well connected from all the major cities of the country by train. There are both day and night trains available from New Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Katra. We took the newly launched Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Katra. The food served on the train was by far the best.
Vaishno Devi by Foot:
The base camp for Vaishno Devi is located in Katra at a distance of approximately 12kms from the temple. The total time taken to cover this distance is 5 to 6 hours on an average with multiple breaks. The route taken for the same is Katra-Ban Ganga-Charan Paduka-Ardhkuwari-Bhawan(
The walk is a mild incline with the new route being well managed by the Shrine Board.
Vaishno Devi by Helicopter:
Reaching Vaishno Devi temple by helicopter is one of the most easiest and convenient options. There are two companies who operate from the base camp in Karta to Sanjhi Chhat, the helipad near bhawan. The distance from Sanjhi Chhat to Bhawan is less than 3kms. There are options for horses and palki near the helipad to take you to the bhawan. This is very helpful for the elderlies.
Here are a few things you need to know about Helicopter Ride to Vaishno Devi Temple:
- Cost of Helicopter Ride: 1045INR (One Way) and 2090INR(Return).
- Flight Time: 3-4 minutes.
- Helicopter Operators: Global Vectra and Himalayan Heli.
- Booking website: https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/helecopter_detail.aspx
The overall time for check in to landing one way should take approximately an hour with security check and waiting. The waiting lounges are clean with neat and well maintained and the process is really smooth. Photography is prohibited during take-off and landing.
You also get a VIP access via the CISF route if you book a round trip for the helicopter services.
Where to stay in Katra:
Katra has a lot of options when it comes to stay. From budget options which provide just basic accommodation facilities to comfortable options like Lemon Tree hotel which are affordable and provide excellent services we have it all. We chose to stay with the Lemon Tree hotel Katra and were completely happy and satisfied with the services.
Here are our reasons for a completely satisfying stay with Lemon Tree hotel in Katra:
Location:
Lemon Tree Hotel Katra is located right next to the Katra junction railway station. This makes it a perfect choice to pick this hotel as when you are traveling by train all it takes is just 2 minutes to reach the hotel. The main market of Katra is also just 10 mins away when driving which makes it all the more useful as you are staying away from the crowd.
View this post on Instagram
Food:
Lemon Tree Hotel serves only vegetarian food. Having said that, we would not be doubtful in saying that we had one of the best vegetarian food here at Lemon Tree. The Citrus cafe at the Lemon Tree Hotel Katra has a good spread for buffet food along with a wide variety of options for ala-carte. The food served during the in-room dining is also tasteful and hot when served.
The cafe offers buffet breakfast which is prepared without using onion and garlic which helps people to have breakfast and proceed for the darshan after that.
Tattva, the in-house spa:
A nice massage is all you need post visiting the Vaishno Devi Temple. Tattva, the in-house spa at the Lemon Tree hotel is a perfect place to relax and rejuvenate. We opted to go for a foot massage and a full body massage and both the experiences were extremely satisfactory.
The female therapist was really good and helped us in overcoming the fatigue with her expertise. The rates in Tattva are reasonable and the products used are of good quality. We really loved the aroma oils used for massages.
Rooms, Staff and Service:
The rooms at the Lemon Tree hotel are decent in size. The layout of the rooms are simple with enough space to move around. The amenities within the room ensure that you have a comfortable stay.
The staff of Lemon Tree is a team of experienced professionals who ensure the best of service at all times. The service is quick and the staff always carries a smile on their face which builds up the positive aura around.
Timings for Vaishno Devi Temple:
The temple is open 24×7 for the visitors. However, there is an arti which happens twice in a day once before the sunrise and once after the sunset. The duration of the arti is 1.5 hours.
Facilities near the Vaishno Devi Temple:
The way to Bhawan is well maintained and has various options for washrooms and chairs to sit if you feel tired. The food options available on the way are good to too. One shouldn’t miss the Kadhi Chawal on the way.
Our experiences from the trip:
This was one of the most smoothest and easiest trip to the Vaishno Devi Temple. All thanks to the impeccable arrangements by the Shrine Board and the Helicopter services, we could easily visit the temple, get a very good darshan and reach back in time.
The services offered by the entire team of Lemon Tree hotel also made our experience worth remembering for long.
1 comment
Well written blog with amazing pics for the divine Vasihno devi yatra.