Vaishno Devi Mandir Katra: Temple | History | Information | Rituals | Puja

The pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi Mandir is considered one of the Holiest ones in our time. The Mother Goddess is located in a  Holy Cave which is in the folds of the three-peaked mountains named Trikuta, making it a difficult journey for the pilgrims. It is a very difficult journey that involves a trek in the mountains of nearly 12 km from Katra. The surprising thing about this temple is that it does not have any statues of the Goddess. The Darshans are three individual Pindies that look like natural rock formations. Currently, the number of people who visit Vaishno Devi Mandir exceeds 1 crore annually.

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History:

It is not easy to be certain about the date when the pilgrimage started but the structure has been dated back nearly a million years. The first mention of Mata Vaishno Devi was in the epic Mahabharata. Arjun refers to a Mother Goddess by Jambookatak Chityaishu Nityam Sannihitalaye’, which means ‘you who always dwell in the temple on the slope of the mountain in Jamboo’, referring to Mata Vaishno Devi. There is some speculation that the temple was built by the Pandavas. Five stone structures are found in an adjacent mountain, which is extremely near the Holy Cave, and many believe that this is a mark of the Pandavas. Guru Gobind Singh is the last notable person of importance to have made the journey.

Information:

Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is believed to be open to those who have received the Call of Mata. It is said to be a strong feeling that one experiences when the Mother Goddess calls to them. If someone gets the Call of Mata, given the local name of Maan Aap Bulandi, no matter where they are, they are bound to come to the abode. The person just needs to take one step of the harsh journey and the rest of the path is magically completed without a speck of difficulties due to the blessings of the Goddess. It is also noted that if there has been no call then the person can not visit the shrine. The temple is open to the public all around the year and there is no entry fee. 

The darshan timings are 5:00 am – 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Significance:

Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is considered the most important Shakti Peetha of Goddess Sati. Some believe that the skull of the goddess fell here after the Daksha Yagna episode. However, the discovery of a human hand lead others to believe that her right arm was the body part that fell here. It is commonly called the “Varad Hast” which literally means “The Hand that grants blessings”. The three Pindies in the cave are said to be representations of the Mother Goddess Shakti and arise from a single rock. They all have different colors and textures. The black one is the Pindi of Goddess Mahakali which represents unknown energy, Goddess Mahalakshmi has a Pindi with a yellowish tint which represents wealth, prosperity, and quality of life, while the white Pindi represents the purity of life belongs to Goddess Saraswati.

Rituals and Pujas:

Vaishno Devi Puja can be done according to your convenience since there are different options present for the pilgrims. A system of individual puja has been introduced where every morning a puja is performed in the Yagyashalla. Apart from that, the temple also put in place the service of Shradha Suman Vishesh Pooja where willing pilgrims can witness the Aarti Darshan of the Holy Goddess. The Aarti takes place every morning before dawn and in the evening just after dusk. The entire process can last for two hours. It is a very lengthy and meticulous ritual where the Pujaris start at the sanctum-santorum and eventually move outside. 

Before the Aarti, there is a ritual of "Aatam pujan"; where the Mother Goddess is bathed in water, milk, ghee, honey, and sugar. Following, the Goddess is adorned in a saree, chola, chuni, and ornaments. This is again followed by an offering of Navied to the Goddess and the pujaris chant various shlokas and Mantras throughout the entire process. During the Aarti, several other Gods and Goddesses are believed to be present in the sanctum-santorum and they are also worshipped by the Pujaris, making it a spectacular event. Prasadam and charanamrit are given to the present devotees after the completion of the Aarti.

Festivals:

Navaratri is a special festival celebrated at the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, dedicated to the Mother Goddess. This festival goes on for 9 days, where the first three days are dedicated to Goddess Durga or Kali, followed by three days of dedication to Goddess Laksmi and three days to Goddess Saraswati. Other than that, Deepavali, Ram Navami, and Mahashivratri are also some festivals that are observed with great pomp at the temple.

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Some Interesting Facts:

1. There are several traditions surrounding the creation of the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. Pandit Sridhar is linked to one of them. According to legend, Pandit Sridhar was a poor sage who had a vision of Mata Vaishno Devi directing him to the temple. It is also said that anytime Sridhar became disoriented, Vaishno Devi arrived in his dreams to help him.

2. According to geological research, the caverns are a million years old. On the other hand, a reference to a mountain god named Trikuta has been made in the Hindu literature. It is worth mentioning that worship of Shakti and other female goddesses did not begin till the Puranic period.

3. At Vaishno Devi, there are three main caverns, one of which is closed for the most of the year. It is reported that the three caverns together are too long for a single pilgrimage, thus only two caves are kept accessible for the crowds to visit.

4. The ancient cave at Mata Vaishno Devi Temple is very important. This cave is said to have the body of Bhairo Nath, whom the Goddess murdered with her Trishul (Trident). According to mythology, after Vaishnavi Devi decapitated Bhairo Nath, his head flew to the Bhairav Valley while the remainder of his corpse stayed in the cave.

5. A stream of the Ganga is supposed to flow through the cave. Before going to the shrine, the worshippers wash their hands with this water.