High in the Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir, a cave holds one of the most visited shrines of the Goddess in India. Pilgrims call her Vaishno Devi, Mata Rani or Sherawali Mata, “the mother who rides the lion”. The yatra begins at the town of Katra and goes up a long mountain path to the cave. Millions walk it each year, and for many families it is a vow that they fulfil once, or return to over a lifetime.
The shrine
The sanctum is a natural cave, and the object of worship is not a carved image. There are three rock forms, called pindis, held to be the Goddess in her three aspects: Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati. Pilgrims pass through the cave in small groups, and the sanctum is entered on foot through a narrow passage, with water running over the floor. Whether the three are the whole story is a theological matter. Devotees usually say that the Goddess here is one and that the three pindis are her three powers, of dissolution, wealth and wisdom.
The age of the shrine is a matter of tradition, and we give no date. The place is mentioned in local and devotional accounts for many centuries, and the present arrangements for the yatra are modern, including the management by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, set up under a state law of 1986.
The legend
The most widely told story is of a girl called Vaishnavi, born in the south to a devout family, who gave her life to the worship of Rama. She went to the forest to practise austerity. In one popular telling, Rama met her there and told her to continue until the end of the age, when she would unite with him as Kalki, and that she would be worshipped in the Trikuta hills.
The story then moves to the hills. A village priest, Pandit Shridhar, held a feast for the whole village after a dream of the Goddess in the form of a girl. A powerful tantric, Bhairon Nath, followed the girl, who withdrew into the hills. Pursued, she is said to have rested at several spots that are still visited, among them the Banganga stream, the Charan Paduka, and Adhkuwari, where the tradition says she stayed in a cave for a time. At the cave of the shrine she turned on Bhairon Nath, who was killed. His head fell on the hill now called Bhairon Ghati, and tradition holds that he asked forgiveness as he died and was granted a boon: that pilgrims should visit his small shrine to complete the yatra. For this reason many pilgrims go on to it.
Local accounts differ in the details, such as the names and where she rested. Treat it as sacred story. It tells us the values devotees find in the shrine, which are devotion, humility and protection of the faithful.
The yatra
The path from Katra to the cave is a mountain walk of well over ten kilometres, with a gradual climb and steps in places. Other ways, such as ponies, palanquins and a helicopter service, are available from the transport providers authorised by the board. Many pilgrims chant “Jai Mata Di” as they go.
Visits are organised by the Shrine Board. Registration is required for the yatra and the arrangements for it, along with the timings, the numbers admitted each day, the helicopter service and the cost of any of these, are on the board’s official website. We do not quote them. Please use only that site for any booking or registration, and be careful about offers from anyone on the road or on social media.
Season and health
The shrine is visited all year, and the busiest times are the Navratri periods and the school holidays. Our Sharad Navratri page gives the dates for your city, and the Navadurga pages describe the nine forms of the Goddess worshipped in those days. Winter can be cold and the hills can see rain, snow and landslides, so check conditions before you set out. If you are elderly, pregnant, or have a heart, breathing or joint condition, ask your doctor before the climb, and take your own medicines. A pilgrimage is a devotion and never a treatment.
How to get there
- Airport: Jammu airport is the nearest, with a road journey to Katra.
- Railway: Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station, which has trains from several large cities. Jammu Tawi is the other main station.
- Road: Katra is connected by road to Jammu, and buses and taxis run between them.
Etiquette
Walk in a queue, wear comfortable footwear for the path, and follow the instructions at the checkpoints and in the cave. Carry only what you need, since bags, phones and some leather items may not be allowed in the cave area. Please keep the path clean. For rules on any of these, read the Shrine Board’s official notice and not the word of a third party.
Is it a Shakti Peetha?
Many devotees ask. Vaishno Devi is not named in the commonest classical lists of the Shakti Peethas, though some devotees include it by local tradition, and the story of her coming is not the story of Sati. See our page on the Shakti Peethas for the lists, and Durga Chalisa and Durga aarti for texts that many pilgrims sing on the way.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is worshipped at Vaishno Devi?
Three natural rock forms, called pindis, in a cave. Devotees honour them as Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati, the three powers of the one Goddess.
↳ Who was Bhairon Nath?
In the legend he was a tantric who pursued the Goddess and was killed at the cave. Tradition says he was forgiven and granted a boon, and that is why pilgrims visit his small shrine on the hill.
↳ How do I register for the yatra?
Through the official website of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Rules change, so this page does not quote them.
↳ Is Vaishno Devi one of the Shakti Peethas?
It is not in the commonest classical lists, though some devotees count it by local tradition. It is nevertheless one of the most visited shrines of the Goddess.
↳ Is the climb suitable for everyone?
Not necessarily. It is a long mountain walk, and pilgrims with heart, breathing or joint conditions should ask a doctor first. Authorised alternatives to walking exist, and the board's website lists them.