Location : Katra, 61 Km North of Jammu in North India
Ideal Time To Visit : March till July
The sacred shrine of Vashno Devi, the mother goddess of Hindus is on top of the Trikuta Hills at a height of 1,700 mt. The cave is 30 metres long and just one-and-a half mt high. At the end of the cave are shrines dedicated to the three forms of the mother goddess – Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasarasvati.
Pilgrims have to enter in small groups through a narrow opening and walk through ice-cold waters to reach the shrines. According to legend, the mother goddess hid in the cave while escaping a demon, whom she ultimately killed.
The shrine of Vaishno Devi is approached through Katra, which lies 13 km from the shrine and is the base for the pilgrimage. From Katra vehicles are not allowed. Pilgrims either can go by Tattos or by Helikeptor, however most of the pilgrims walking.
