Maa Vaishno Devi Temple Route Map & Accomodation Details of Katra

Vaishno Devi

MAA VAISHNO DEVI ROUTE MAP


Location :-

 On Trikoot Parvat (Hill), in Katra of Udhampur district at Jammu Kashmir.

Built In :-

 About 1615

Dedicated to:-

Goddess Vaishnavi.

Attraction:-

Major pilgrimage of the Hindus.

Altitude:-

 2500 feet above sea level.

Aarti Timings:-

6 am to 8 am and 6 pm to 8 pm.

Mobile Connectivity:-

 BSNL works best here.

Entry :-

 Free.

Photography :-

 Allow.

Visit Timing :-

 about 1 Hour.

Distance from Jammu:- 

50 kms.

Distance from Vaishno Devi shrine:- 

14 Km (by trek).

Average temperature:-

During summer:-

 Max- 40; Min- 20.

During Winter:-

 Max: 15; Min:03.

Nearest Railway Station :-  Jammu.

Nearest Airport:-  Jammu.

Best Time to Visit :-

One Can visit Vaishno Devi temple at any time of the year, but avoid planning Vaishno Devi tours in winter season as it is extremely tough due to the excessive snowfall.

Vaishno Devi Temple, one of the sacred Hindu shrines in India, is situated at an elevation of 1700 metre on top of the Trikuta Hills, Katra. Jammu is located at a distance of around 46 km from the town of Katra. The temple consists of a cave shrine dedicated to the Hindu Mother Goddess, Vaishno Devi. The cave measures approximately 30 m in length and 1.5 m in height. According to popular folklore, the cave was used by the Mother Goddess to hide from a demon that she eventually killed.The main attractions of the shrine are the idols depicting the 3 forms of Vaishno Devi, namely Mahakali; the Hindu goddess of time and death, Mahasaraswati; the Hindu goddess of knowledge, and Mahalakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and fortune. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has been assigned the responsibility of maintaining this temple.Approximately 8 million devotees from around the country visit the Vaishno Devi Temple on an annual basis. This figure makes this shrine the second most visited temple in the country after the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple of Andhra Pradesh.

Maa Vaishno Devi temple can be reached from Katra. Katra is a small but bustling town around 45 km. from Jammu. From Katra, after getting the 'Yatra Parchi' (Journey Slip) for darshan, devotees can proceed to the Bhavan.
The way to Bhavan is steep and requires a long walk uphill. Alternatively ponies and palanquins are also available. Helicopter service can also be taken for a large part of the trip. The Trust offers comfortable stay for pilgrims.
Indian Railways will start rail services up to Katra from July 1st 2013. They are in communication with the Jammu and Kashmir Government to to integrate permit slips for Vaishno Devi Darshan with the train ticket. The passenger can get permit slips while booking the train ticket


Rest of India to Jammu:-

In order to visit the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji, one has to reach Katra, a small town situated around 50 kms. from Jammu, the winter capital of the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Katra serves as the base camp for the yatra. Katra is well connected to Jammu and Jammu, in turn, is well connected to the rest of the country by Air, Rail, and Road.

By Air:-

Jammu is well connected to the rest of India by air. Both Indian Airlines and Jet Airways operate daily flights to Jammu. The average flying time from New Delhi is about 80 minutes.


By Train:-

One can also reach Jammu by rail. Jammu is connected to other parts of country on broad gauge and numerous passenger trains ply from various parts of the country to Jammu. In the peak season of summer and other holidays, the Railways introduce special trains for Jammu for the comfort of the Yatris. Many superfast trains also ply on this route and one can reach Jammu overnight from New Delhi.

A list of trains, their schedules and booking status could be seen at the Indian Railways website. You can even book tickets online if you are planning to travel in the near future.


By Road:-

Jammu is well connected through road also to rest of India. National Highway No. 1A passes through Jammu towards Srinagar. Regular bus services from all major North Indian cities are available for Jammu as well as Katra. Many standard and deluxe buses of various State Road Transport Corporations as well as private operators connect Jammu with important cities and towns of North India.

Passengers using Air or Rail as a mode of travel have necessarily to break their journey at Jammu and from thereon select an alternative mode of transport. However for passengers traveling by road, either through public or own transport, there is an option of taking a by-pass from Kunjwani, nearly 10 kms. off Jammu and heading straight for the base camp i.e Katra. The option of a halt at Jammu is thus entirely with the yatri although many yatries would like to spend more time in Jammu and visit the temples and other landmarks there.

Accomodation:-

Rented Accomodation:-


For the benefit of the pilgrims, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board provides clean, well maintained and very economical accommodation. This accommodation is available at Jammu (at Vaishnavi Dham and Saraswati Dham near Railway Station), at Katra (at Niharika Yatri Niwas and Shakti Bhawan situated at the Bus stand) Katra. Another dormitory accommodation, Trikuta Bhawan, Katra is available at near the 2nd Yatra counter (YRC II). Accommodation is available at Adkuwari, Sajichatt and at main Bhawan also.

Accommodation for all Shrine :-

Board Guest houses/dormitories can be booked (subject to availability) at the reception of these guest houses or at the Enquiry and Reservation counter at Niharika complex.  Online booking is also possible through this website. For maximum chances of obtaining confirmed room reservations at various locations devotees are advised to make the necessary bookings well in advance. In addition, since heavy rush is experienced on weekends and holidays, pilgrims are advised to plan their Yatra on weekdays.

 Since its inception, it has been the constant endeavour of the Board to provide adequate, neat & clean resting places to the devotees visiting the holy cave Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. Towards these objectives, , many decent resting places such as Saraswati Bhawan, Waiting Hall near Manokamana Bhawan, etc. have been created at Bhawan Complex. These are meant to be used by the devotees waiting for their turn for Darshans of the Holy Goddess. These resting places are in the shape of large halls which are available for the yatries. This accommodation is free of cost and is made available on a first-come-first-served basis. No booking or permission is required for using these premises since they are kept open round the clock and yatries can just go and occupy them subject to availability

Blankets can be obtained from the Blanket Stores at a nominal and refundable security deposit. Adjacent to most the resting places, Blanket stores, Medical Aid Centres and Refreshment Units have been provided for the convenience of the yatris.