 The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is situated at a height of 5, 300 feet above the sea level. This tourist destination is located inside a cave in the Trikuta Mountains in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, 62 kilometers from Jammu and 14 kilometers from Katra. Mata Vaishno Devi is one of the most important pilgrimages of Hindus. It is believed that Vaishno Devi is a form of the Hindu goddess Durga. According to legend a young girl Vaishno was created by the Gods to fight the demons in the Treta yug. The shrine as mentioned above is located in the Trikuta Mountains. Once at the entrance to the cave, the path turns into a narrow tunnel with a cold stream running through it. This stream is called the Charan Ganga. There are rock cut idols of three deities inside the cave, viz. Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.
Tourists need a pass to enter the shrine and this pass is available at Katra. The shrine lies at a distance of 14 kilometers from the town of Katra, Kashmir. It is a 2-hour drive from Jammu to Vaishno Devi. Tours and travel to the shrine of Vaishno Devi, Kashmir involves a 12-kilometer trek from the base camp at Katra. Tours and travel to the shrine of Vaishno Devi involves a number of stopovers during the 12-kilometer trek. These are Banganga, which is at a distance of one kilometer from Katra. Six kilometers from Banganga lies the next stop that is the cave shrine of Ardhkunwari and the last halt before you actually reach the shrine is Bhawan, where there are arrangements for tourists and pilgrims to freshen up, wash and clean. There are facilities for the pilgrims to submit their belongings and valuables.
Tourist Destinations in Jammu and Kashmir
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