Mata Vaishno Devi Temple - travel guide and my personal experience

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Mata vaishnodevi temple is situated in trikuta hills , in jammu and kashmir. The nearest town to reach is katra .
The holy temple of Mata Vaishno Devi is situated approximately 10 kms from the Bus Stand / Railway Station of Katra. Helicopter service also available from Katra to Sanjhi Chhat which is approximate 2 Kms far away from temple. The bookings are done only online .One can visit the mata vaishno devi site.

Mata vaishno devi bhavan

MY JOURNEY -

We travelled by Indo Canadian tpt.co sleeper bus from delhi to katra. The bus was on time and departured at 7.30 pm and reached katra at 8.00 am. It was peak season time so we had already pre- booked our hotel . You can easily get hotels off season but during the rush always pre-book the hotel. Vaishno Devi is open for pilgrims throughout the year. The peak season is May -july and during Navratra. We went there in the month of June 2019. We checked in our hotel which was situated in bus stand , after getting ready we had our breakfast and headed towards the trek. No prepaid Sim cards works in jammu kashmir/katra due to security reasons . To buy a postpaid sim/yatri sim you can visit the nearest Sim Card Shop. Before Starting the trek a Yatra Slip is mandatory. We got our yatra slip from the counter located in the bus stand. You can also get yatra Slip online in advance and free of cost at the website of trust of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Yatra slip

Banganga

The starting point for the trek is Banganga. We Started our trek at 10.00 am. You can easily find auto rickshaw to reach there. After the security check We started our trek to mata vaishnodevi temple. There are horse services also available, Pithu (men carry people) and Waggies (for disabled / old persons who can not walk) are also provided.

Waggies

It took us approximately 5-6 hours of walk to reach to the temple. However, it was an interesting journey , throughout the trek you will feel so blessed and happy if you have the true spirit of pilgrimage in your heart.

Sun set at Trikuta hills

On the way to the temple, you can get blessings at the following places:

Charanpaduka
Ardhkuwari
Hathi Matha

We reached the temple around 4 pm. After submitting all our stuffs ( wallet, mobile, power bank etc ) into the locker room. We stood in a queue to worship Mata Vaishno Devi. It was very crowded and we had to stand in a queue for more than half an hour to reach the worship place.

After the darshan of mata vaishnodevi, we had food in the trust's Food joint near the temple. And continued our journey towards the Bhairon temple. It is situated approximate 4-5 Kms further up in the hills from the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. Ropeway facility is also available till 6.00 pm in the evening. We took the ropeway to the Bhairon baba temple. The view was Spectacular.

Katra Shining Bright

After that we started our trek back to katra. We reached around 12.30 midnight to katra. We took the auto rickshaw and reached our hotel and took rest. Next day we boarded our bus way back to Delhi.

It was a very rejuvenating and emotional experience for me. This trip was a Soulful journey. More than 30 thousand people visited that day and people were so enthusiastic. I could feel the happiness in there eyes and smiles from their tired faces.
I strongly believe Mata Calls her devotees and gives everyone the strength to endure the 17 km long trek . Jai Mata Di.

A devotee with his kid

How to reach Mata Vaishno Devi Temple

You can reach this place by air, train, bus and car. Nearest Airport is Jammu, which is approximate 55 kms from Katra and Katra is the base camp point to start journey. Jammu/katra is well connected with trains from all over the country . Also Katra is well connected by Road. We can take bus service from Railway Station of Jammu to Katra. There are plenty of taxi services as well.

Where to eat:

There are so many food joints available in Katra, as well as near the temple. You will get light, simple food near the temple. Since you have a long way to walk, it is better to eat light food and also keep your self hydrated as it is very important. You will find many water cooler along the way to trek and shops selling juice or fruits too.

Where to Stay

There are hundred of budget hotels in Jammu and Katra. You will find hotels in all price ranges, starting from budget hotels to expensive luxury accommodation. If you are on a tight budget, there are dharamshalas  also available. You can get single room in just Rs. 500-600/- if you have good negotiation skills. Depending upon the season.

Like this blog? Or have something to share? Do comment and share your experience . You can connect with me on Instagram https://instagram.com/sinhadrabhilasha?igshid=fpx63b5ysvcc