During this Dashain holidays, I was on a tour to India and my itinerary included a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi. However, despite my best effort I could not manage time to visit Vaishno Devi temple.
[caption id="attachment_4513" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Many pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
My first destination was Sanchi. At Sanchi I wanted to see great Stupas, which were originally commissioned by emperor Ashoka the great in the 3rd century BCE. The main Stupa was built over the relics of Lord Buddha. After spending one day at Sanchi, I went to Bhopal to see a temple of Shree Pashupatinath. The temple was built by the Nepali community of Bhopal in 1979. I boarded a local train from Sanchi to Bhopal. Bhopal is about 40km away from Sanchi.
[caption id="attachment_4510" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Many pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
While staying in Bhopal, I came to know about a Nepali family, originally from Tansen, Palpa, had just returned from Vaishno Devi. I decided to meet the family and collect necessary information that could be helpful to the esteemed readers of Hospitality, Food & Wine. The fact is that every year hundreds of thousands of Nepali pilgrims do visit Vaishno Devi.
[caption id="attachment_4505" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
A holy pond at Baba Dhansar, on the way to Vaishno Devi. Photo- Ashi Thakur[/caption]
I didn�t find it difficult to find the house of the Nepali family as they were living at Milan Residency, a posh colony in downtown Bhopal city. Upon reaching their house, I received a warm welcome from Mr. Vijay Thakur, Mrs. Laxmi Thakur, elder daughter Aashi Thakur and the youngest daughter Samridhi Thakur. Before I began asking about their visit to Vaishno Devi, I gifted them a replica of Swayambhunath temple as a token of love. They appreciated the gift.
[caption id="attachment_4508" align="alignright" width="237"]
Ashi Thakur, a final year engineering student, on her way to Vaishno Devi. Photo-Samridhi Thakur[/caption]
�Every year we visit Vaishno Devi to pay our solemn tribute to mata Vaishno Devi�, said Vijay Thakur, a government employee at the Madhya Pradesh Railway Mail Service, Bhopal.
�Ever since we began visiting to Vaishno Devi, I found everything changing in our lives. By the grace of mata Vaishno Devi, we are living a very happy and satisfied life,� he added.
His wife Laxmi Thakur did also hold a similar view. �We have two daughters and we want to raise them as good as possible. My faith in Vaishno Devi has given me mental peace, happiness and good health to my family. On top, now I don�t desire anything as mata Vaishno Devi has given us everything that we wanted�.
[caption id="attachment_4514" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Many Pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
When asked about their pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi, they said, �We took a train to Katra that is 1073km away from Bhopal. We had previously booked a hotel at Katra to make our stay comfortable. I suggest everyone to book a room in a hotel at Katra prior to visiting Vaishno Devi. It will save time and unnecessary labour of walking around for a room. One-day rest at Katra is advisable to get refreshed for the next day�s arduous trek to Vaishno Devi temple.
�Next day early in the morning at 6 o�clock we set out for a tedious trek to Vaishno Devi. After walking for about 4 hours, we reached Ardha Kumari. At Ardha Kumari there is a cave. The interesting thing about this cave is its entrance. Its entrance seems to be quite narrow, but surprisingly enough even a fat man with little effort can easily pass through the mouth of the cave.
�From Ardha Kumari a car, running on battery, is also available for the pilgrims who cannot walk or don�t want to walk. However, I saw many people walking on foot despite pain in their legs. They think that there is no reward of Vaishno Devi darshan, without experiencing little physical pain.
[caption id="attachment_4507" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
After walking about 14km on foot, the family takes little rest to catch breath near the temple of Vaishno Devi. Photo- A selfie taken by Samridhi Thakur[/caption]
�After about two and half hours walk from Ardha Kumari, we reached Vaishno Devi temple. Photography is not allowed around the periphery of the temple. One should deposit mobile phones, cameras and leather items. Carrying any of these items mean the person will be sent back from the queue.
�To make Vaishno Devi journey more comfortable and luxurious, there is a helicopter service from Katra. It drops pilgrims at Sanjichhat in 8 minutes. Pilgrims must show travel tickets to Katra to board a helicopter and a piece of document to prove their identifications. Without these documents, no one can board helicopter. Until this article was written, one-way helicopter fare charge is Rs.1005/-.
[caption id="attachment_4512" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Palki riding is also available for the old and sick pilgrims.
Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust.[/caption] �Throughout the way to Vaishno Devi trail, there are several army check points. All the pilgrims have to pass through those army checkpoints. For the safety and security purpose, army personnel don�t allow carrying knife and any objects that can be used as weapons are strictly prohibited. Most importantly, all the pilgrims should not forget to purchase �Yatra Parchi� that is available at Katra. Yatra Parchi is compulsory and it can be booked through online. Yatra Parchi is free of cost for all pilgrims�. After a long talk with Mr. Vijay Thakur, I turned to Aashi Thakur, the elder daughter of Mr. Vijay Thakur. She was a final year Computer Science engineering student at Techno Crats Institute of Technology, Bhopal. I asked about her experience of pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi. She drew a long breath and spoke rather seriously. [caption id="attachment_4515" align="alignright" width="351"]
Samridhi Thakur, a 12th grade student at St. Thomas Convent Senior Secondary School. Bhopal. Photo-Ashi Thakur[/caption]
�Walking through those never-ending steps is not everybody�s cup of tea. You need stamina and mental strength. I chose not to take a battery car to reach Vaishno Devi. I wanted to reach the temple on my two feet. I dared it because I regularly do physical exercise that gave me self confidence of undertaking a long trek to Vaishno Devi�.
Samridhi Thakur, the younger daughter of Mr. Vijay Thakur, is a 12th grade student at St. Thomas Convent Senior Secondary School, Bhopal. She looked much eager to share her experience with this scribe.
�I saw many people carrying unnecessarily more stuff than they actually needed. I suggest everyone to carry as little as necessary. However, a trip to Vaishno Devi requires a lot of physical effort and mental strength. Carrying little load is always better�.
A visit to Vaishno Devi is the most arduous pilgrimage for Hindus. The temple of Vaishno Devi is located at an altitude of 5,300 feet. The main temple is about 14km from Katra.
In recent years, a journey to Vaishno Devi has been made more comfortable. An entire route to the main shrine has been developed systematically. Pilgrims to Vaishno Devi can opt for battery powered taxi, mule, horses, and even helicopter services. Pilgrims can take helicopter service from Katra and Jammu.
Nowadays there are two popular routes to reach the shrine. The old route and the new route. The old route is for walkers where mules and horses are also used to transport pilgrims. The new route has been cut short where pilgrims can use battery-powered vehicles.
It is said that a holy trip to Vaishno Devi is not completed without visiting Bhairavnath Temple, which is at the distance of about 3km from Vaishno Devi temple. Almost all pilgrims to Vaishno Devi do visit the temple of Bhairavnath.
There is a popular legend about Bhairavnath that explains why one must visit Bhairavnath Temple after visiting mata Vaishno Devi.
[caption id="attachment_4511" align="aligncenter" width="800"]
Mrs. Laxmi Thakur, ties sacred threads at the roots and branches of a banyan tree at the holy shrine of Baba Dhansar, on the way to Vaishno Devi. Photo-Vijay Thakur[/caption]
Legend has it that Bhairavnath, disciple of Guru Gorakhnath, was the master of many tantrik siddhis, which made him proud and arrogant. He did not like people praising Vaishno Devi more than him. One day he reached up to Vaishno Devi to insult her. Infuriated Vaishno Devi took the form of Kali and mortally attacked Bhairavnath.
At the last moment of death, Bhairavnath pleaded for mercy on him. Mata Vaishno Devi considered Bhairavnath�s immense wisdom and years of penance, as a result she forgave Bhairavnath and gave him a boon instead. She said, �No pilgrimage to me would be completed without visiting Bhairavnath�s Temple.
I hope that the esteemed readers of Hospitality, Food & Wine would find this article a good read. I will be glad to receive your comments about this article.
Many pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
My first destination was Sanchi. At Sanchi I wanted to see great Stupas, which were originally commissioned by emperor Ashoka the great in the 3rd century BCE. The main Stupa was built over the relics of Lord Buddha. After spending one day at Sanchi, I went to Bhopal to see a temple of Shree Pashupatinath. The temple was built by the Nepali community of Bhopal in 1979. I boarded a local train from Sanchi to Bhopal. Bhopal is about 40km away from Sanchi.
[caption id="attachment_4510" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Many pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
While staying in Bhopal, I came to know about a Nepali family, originally from Tansen, Palpa, had just returned from Vaishno Devi. I decided to meet the family and collect necessary information that could be helpful to the esteemed readers of Hospitality, Food & Wine. The fact is that every year hundreds of thousands of Nepali pilgrims do visit Vaishno Devi.
[caption id="attachment_4505" align="aligncenter" width="800"] A holy pond at Baba Dhansar, on the way to Vaishno Devi. Photo- Ashi Thakur[/caption]
I didn�t find it difficult to find the house of the Nepali family as they were living at Milan Residency, a posh colony in downtown Bhopal city. Upon reaching their house, I received a warm welcome from Mr. Vijay Thakur, Mrs. Laxmi Thakur, elder daughter Aashi Thakur and the youngest daughter Samridhi Thakur. Before I began asking about their visit to Vaishno Devi, I gifted them a replica of Swayambhunath temple as a token of love. They appreciated the gift.
[caption id="attachment_4508" align="alignright" width="237"] Ashi Thakur, a final year engineering student, on her way to Vaishno Devi. Photo-Samridhi Thakur[/caption]
�Every year we visit Vaishno Devi to pay our solemn tribute to mata Vaishno Devi�, said Vijay Thakur, a government employee at the Madhya Pradesh Railway Mail Service, Bhopal.
�Ever since we began visiting to Vaishno Devi, I found everything changing in our lives. By the grace of mata Vaishno Devi, we are living a very happy and satisfied life,� he added.
His wife Laxmi Thakur did also hold a similar view. �We have two daughters and we want to raise them as good as possible. My faith in Vaishno Devi has given me mental peace, happiness and good health to my family. On top, now I don�t desire anything as mata Vaishno Devi has given us everything that we wanted�.
[caption id="attachment_4514" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Many Pilgrims enjoy horse and mule riding all the way from Katra to the Vaishno Devi temple. Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust[/caption]
When asked about their pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi, they said, �We took a train to Katra that is 1073km away from Bhopal. We had previously booked a hotel at Katra to make our stay comfortable. I suggest everyone to book a room in a hotel at Katra prior to visiting Vaishno Devi. It will save time and unnecessary labour of walking around for a room. One-day rest at Katra is advisable to get refreshed for the next day�s arduous trek to Vaishno Devi temple.
�Next day early in the morning at 6 o�clock we set out for a tedious trek to Vaishno Devi. After walking for about 4 hours, we reached Ardha Kumari. At Ardha Kumari there is a cave. The interesting thing about this cave is its entrance. Its entrance seems to be quite narrow, but surprisingly enough even a fat man with little effort can easily pass through the mouth of the cave.
�From Ardha Kumari a car, running on battery, is also available for the pilgrims who cannot walk or don�t want to walk. However, I saw many people walking on foot despite pain in their legs. They think that there is no reward of Vaishno Devi darshan, without experiencing little physical pain.
[caption id="attachment_4507" align="aligncenter" width="800"] After walking about 14km on foot, the family takes little rest to catch breath near the temple of Vaishno Devi. Photo- A selfie taken by Samridhi Thakur[/caption]
�After about two and half hours walk from Ardha Kumari, we reached Vaishno Devi temple. Photography is not allowed around the periphery of the temple. One should deposit mobile phones, cameras and leather items. Carrying any of these items mean the person will be sent back from the queue.
�To make Vaishno Devi journey more comfortable and luxurious, there is a helicopter service from Katra. It drops pilgrims at Sanjichhat in 8 minutes. Pilgrims must show travel tickets to Katra to board a helicopter and a piece of document to prove their identifications. Without these documents, no one can board helicopter. Until this article was written, one-way helicopter fare charge is Rs.1005/-.
[caption id="attachment_4512" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Palki riding is also available for the old and sick pilgrims.Photo-Mata Vaishno Devi Trust.[/caption] �Throughout the way to Vaishno Devi trail, there are several army check points. All the pilgrims have to pass through those army checkpoints. For the safety and security purpose, army personnel don�t allow carrying knife and any objects that can be used as weapons are strictly prohibited. Most importantly, all the pilgrims should not forget to purchase �Yatra Parchi� that is available at Katra. Yatra Parchi is compulsory and it can be booked through online. Yatra Parchi is free of cost for all pilgrims�. After a long talk with Mr. Vijay Thakur, I turned to Aashi Thakur, the elder daughter of Mr. Vijay Thakur. She was a final year Computer Science engineering student at Techno Crats Institute of Technology, Bhopal. I asked about her experience of pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi. She drew a long breath and spoke rather seriously. [caption id="attachment_4515" align="alignright" width="351"]
Samridhi Thakur, a 12th grade student at St. Thomas Convent Senior Secondary School. Bhopal. Photo-Ashi Thakur[/caption]
�Walking through those never-ending steps is not everybody�s cup of tea. You need stamina and mental strength. I chose not to take a battery car to reach Vaishno Devi. I wanted to reach the temple on my two feet. I dared it because I regularly do physical exercise that gave me self confidence of undertaking a long trek to Vaishno Devi�.
Samridhi Thakur, the younger daughter of Mr. Vijay Thakur, is a 12th grade student at St. Thomas Convent Senior Secondary School, Bhopal. She looked much eager to share her experience with this scribe.
�I saw many people carrying unnecessarily more stuff than they actually needed. I suggest everyone to carry as little as necessary. However, a trip to Vaishno Devi requires a lot of physical effort and mental strength. Carrying little load is always better�.
A visit to Vaishno Devi is the most arduous pilgrimage for Hindus. The temple of Vaishno Devi is located at an altitude of 5,300 feet. The main temple is about 14km from Katra.
In recent years, a journey to Vaishno Devi has been made more comfortable. An entire route to the main shrine has been developed systematically. Pilgrims to Vaishno Devi can opt for battery powered taxi, mule, horses, and even helicopter services. Pilgrims can take helicopter service from Katra and Jammu.
Nowadays there are two popular routes to reach the shrine. The old route and the new route. The old route is for walkers where mules and horses are also used to transport pilgrims. The new route has been cut short where pilgrims can use battery-powered vehicles.
It is said that a holy trip to Vaishno Devi is not completed without visiting Bhairavnath Temple, which is at the distance of about 3km from Vaishno Devi temple. Almost all pilgrims to Vaishno Devi do visit the temple of Bhairavnath.
There is a popular legend about Bhairavnath that explains why one must visit Bhairavnath Temple after visiting mata Vaishno Devi.
[caption id="attachment_4511" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Mrs. Laxmi Thakur, ties sacred threads at the roots and branches of a banyan tree at the holy shrine of Baba Dhansar, on the way to Vaishno Devi. Photo-Vijay Thakur[/caption]
Legend has it that Bhairavnath, disciple of Guru Gorakhnath, was the master of many tantrik siddhis, which made him proud and arrogant. He did not like people praising Vaishno Devi more than him. One day he reached up to Vaishno Devi to insult her. Infuriated Vaishno Devi took the form of Kali and mortally attacked Bhairavnath.
At the last moment of death, Bhairavnath pleaded for mercy on him. Mata Vaishno Devi considered Bhairavnath�s immense wisdom and years of penance, as a result she forgave Bhairavnath and gave him a boon instead. She said, �No pilgrimage to me would be completed without visiting Bhairavnath�s Temple.
I hope that the esteemed readers of Hospitality, Food & Wine would find this article a good read. I will be glad to receive your comments about this article.
