Vaishno Devi

Introduction:-

The holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi which is situated in the folds of might ‘Tirkuta’ Hills' attracts Lakhs of devotees since ages owing to the unflinching faith of the people who throng the Shrine from all parts of India and form abroad. The Vaishno Devi temple, which is also recognized as one of the “Shakti Peeths” of goddess ‘ Durga’, is situated at a distance of 61 Kms from Jammu, which is the winter capital of J&K state. The devotees (popularlyknown as 'Yatries' traverse part of the distance i.e. 13 Km. on foot. The on-foot yatra starts from the base town of Katra, which is at a height of 1700 ft. from the sea level.

The holy cave of goddess Vaishno Devi is situated at an altitude of 5200 ft. Thus by traveling on foot a distance of 13 Kms, a yatri covers a vertical height of about 3500 ft. People who visit the shrine constitute a heterogeneous profile comprising of wealthy & poor, aged & young, males & females from within and outside the country. At the culmination of their pilgrimage the yatries are blessed with the ‘Darshans’ of the deity in her three manifestations as three Pindies, located inside the sanctum– sanatorium, open for the yatries through out the year in all seasons. In the last two decades especially after 1986 when the management of this Shrine was entrusted to an autonomous Board viz. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, the influx of yatra has experienced a steady rise.

 This is owing to the fact that the Board, Which is pro-yatries, has carried out massive developmental & procedural improvements for the smooth conduct of yatra. The emphasis of the Board has always been on pumping-back its incomes for further improvement of facilities for the yatries as also to fulfill the other social commitments to help the weaker sections of the society. As of date the Shrine Board has created a massive infrastructure including pedestrian track, electrification, accommodation, toilets, blankets stores, cloak rooms etc and many of its vital projects are in the offing / conception.. Out of the millions of devotees who throng the place, a large number of yatri are repeaters who visit place every year. The Shrine of goddess ‘Vaishno Devi’ is reached by an arduous climb. The efforts a pilgrim puts in to traverse this distance kindles in him a sense of mission. The scenic beauty, the landscape around and the constant chanting of ‘Jai Mata Di’, leaves a mystic effect on the yatries, making complete transformation of one’s body and soul. The devotee's mind is freed from all kinds of pride and ego, and he is completely lost in a reverie of gratitude to the divine.

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi's shrine in Jammu is one of the oldest shrines in India. The Goddess Vaishnavi is a manifestation of the collective spiritual strengths of Mata Maha Kali, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Saraswati. According to the Durga Sapatshati, the Goddess was born with extraordinary beauty and strength and is an amalgamation of the 'Tejas' of these three 'Devatas'. The deities have natural pindies that represent the creative, preservative and destructive aspects of the Supreme Power. Reference to the shrine is found in the Vedas and other ancient scriptures.

Vaishnavi, after immense hardships reached the foot of the Trikuta Hills and after setting up her ashram there she began to meditate. As predicted by Lord Rama, her glory spread far and wide and people began to flock to her Ashram to seek her blessings. As the time passed, a Tantrik named Gorakh Nath who had a vision of the episode between Lord Rama and Vaishnavi in the retrospective time frame, became curious to find out whether Vaishnavi has been able to attain a high level of spirituality or not. He, therefore, sent his most able disciple ‘Bhairon Nath’ to find out the truth. Bhairon Nath on locating the ashram started observing Vaishnavi secretly and realised that though a ‘Sadhvi’ she always carried bow and arrows with her and was always surrounded by langoors (apes) and a ferocious looking lion. Bhairon Nath was enamored by Vaishnavi’s extraordinary beauty and losing all good sense he began to pester Vaishnavi to marry him. Meanwhile a staunch devotee of Mata Sridhar organised a Bhandara (Community meal) in which the whole village and Guru Gorakh Nath along with all his followers including Bhairon were invited. During the course of Bhandara Bhairon Nath attempted to grab Vaishnavi but she tried her best to daunt him. On failing to do so, Vaishnavi decided to flee away into the mountains to continue her ‘Tapasaya’ undisturbed. Bhairon Nath however chased her to her destination.

The goddess after halting at Banganga, Charan Paduka, and Adhkwari, finally reached the holy cave Shrine. When Bhairon Nath continued to follow her despite the goddess trying to avoid a confrontation, the goddess was compelled to kill him. Bhairon Nath met his ultimate fate when the goddess, just outside the mouth of the cave, beheaded him. The severed head of Bhairon fell with a force at a distant hilltop. Bhairon Nath upon death realised the futility of his mission and prayed to the deity to forgive him. The almighty 'Mata' had mercy on Bhairon and gave him a boon that every devotee of the goddess shall have to have the Darshans of Bhairon after having the Darshans of the goddess and only then shall the yatra of a devotee be complete. Meanwhile, Vaishnavi decided to shed off her human form and assuming the face of a rock she immersed her self into meditation forever.