I used to be a non-believer. Completely. It probably stemmed from the residues of rebellious teens, or perhaps germinated in those early teens when everything and anything that seemed remotely mystifying was attributed to a clich?d ‘coincidence?. I enjoyed those thoughts of atheism and sought intellectual gratification through them. That was until age happened to me. Somewhere along the lines I became a true believer. And now there is nothing I would disbelieve unless it hovers on the lines of sheer stupidity. Today, I am a sponge, willing to soak up all that this complicated life has to offer, learning in the process all that?s spiritually refreshing and divinely fulfilling. ‘I believe and so I am’, is more like my credo today.
And that’s what spurred me to make a trip to the Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu recently with friends and family in tow. The trip was planned by my brother-in-law who has been a true devout of Vaishno Devi. This was his third visit there.
But well, even if you aren?t a believer and do not like to subscribe to the ideals of a religion that?s different from yours, this one could prove to be a special experience if you count the adventure of trekking and the visual delight from the top.
So, how do you get there?
If you were traveling from Mumbai (we did), you would have to book in advance (at least a couple of weeks). I guess, you would have to book in advance, whichever the city… going by the throng of devotees that come to the Shrine. ‘Jammutavi’ is the train that plies from Mumbai to Jammu. It takes about 34 to 35 hours to reach the destination. The train has an in-house mess taking care of breakfast, lunch and dinner, not forgetting regular flow of coffee/tea and snacks. The only drawback, if you are a non-vegetarian, is that you would have to feast on ‘dal’ and ‘sabzhi? throughout the trip.
There are also daily flights from Delhi and Srinagar ? the nearest airport is Jammu, which is 48 km from Katra. Mata’s cave shrine is nestled in the Trikuta Mountain, which is 61 kilometers north of Jammu, and at a height of 5,200 feet above the sea level.
After that long train journey, one replete with series of beautiful sights, you reach Jammu to be greeted by a host of buses and private taxis offering trips to Katra, the base of the Mountain that houses Mata’s cave shrine. This is a two-hour journey and one that could prove to be more tiresome than the train trip as it hurtles along a bumpy road that is narrow and steep in places.
When we reached Katra the day was well into its last lap. We were tired and were in dire need of a good bath. So we obliged the first chap that offered to show the hotel he represented. It was a hotel attached to a little ashram with facilities for devotees to wash and relax for a maximum of six hours without pay. The ashram is run by philanthropists based in Delhi and is open to all. It also offers a locker facility to keep your luggage if you plan to trek up the mountain without a proper stopover.
But before that, all devotees (who are referred as yatris) are advised to obtain a yatra slip (free) from the Yatra Registration Counter at the Tourism Reception Centre, Katra Bus Stand. Without this slip you cannot cross the checkpost on the way up.
So, after freshening up and eating a late dinner at a neat restaurant in the vicinity ? vegetarian, of course ? we decided to trek up the mountain in the night. That way we would avoid daytime heat, as the mountain track is open to direct sunrays.
The shrine is visited all through the year, but the path is difficult during the winters due to snowfall.
It was approximately 12.30 when we began our actual trek from the base of the mountain. It is 11.5 kilometers to the Shrine and another 1.5 kilometers from there to the Bhairon Temple, which makes it a total of 13 kilometers to the top. The distance may not seem big seen like that, but if you consider the fact that it is uphill, it could be quite a task.
Although trekking up the mountain has its own exhilarating moments, there are facilities like ponies and planquins for the infirm, old and kids. A note of caution here, look for the board specifying the fixed tariffs for all these facilities to avoid getting fleeced.
Trekking in the night, with the cool air prodding you on, is a special experience. The track is well illuminated and the route is clean. It is advisable to stick to a side of the track as the ponies could nudge you towards the culverts if you are not careful. There are shelters and cafeterias throughout the route and vegetarian food is available at these outlets.
Without any stopovers and trekking at a brisk pace, we managed to reach the Bhawan by 4 a.m. What stuck us at that point was the multitude of people that had converged there. We?d seen devotees trekking alongside, chanting Mata?s name, but we weren?t ready to see such a huge congregation. And that, we were told, is the story everyday of the year, except winter, when harsh weather makes trekking almost impossible.
At the Bhawan area you are expected to show your Yatra Slip at the Registration Office and get the batch number allotted to you. This number will determine your place in the queue for the darshan. It is here that you may have to make a long wait. People simply place mats and sleep along the lane marked to queue up.
Since the weather can seem quite cold in the mornings, even in summer, it is advisable to hire blankets, which are available for a refundable fee of Rs100.
Going by my experience, I would suggest that you carry extra sweaters or shawls to keep warm, as blankets alone may not be able to warm you up. It was very chilly when we reached the top and it was 10 a.m. when the queue we were in finally got moving. There are locker facilities even here to place your belongings ? you are not allowed to carry cameras and mobile phones.
According to popular belief, anybody who treks to this cave shrine to ask for a boon is obliged.
After the Darshan, which could be a fleeting experience as the crowd of devotees is just too much for the personnel manning the shrine to handle, take time to savour the bounty of steep rising mountains all around.
There are restaurants and public toilets and bathrooms. A little freshening up might help the further trek to Bhairon Temple. This is more a climb through several flights of stairs and if you are quick, might not take you long to reach.
There are ponies and planquins even here for the journey back. But we trekked back and found the experience a little different. Trekking downhill can make your feet feel heavy. So we took our time trekking down and it didn?t seem so bad. The aftereffects came only later. But there was no time to really put our feet up, as we?d scheduled visits to a host of important places in and around Amritsar packed into our trip. But again, I have no complaints. It was one trip, which was truly fulfilling ? in more ways than one.
Legend
As the legend goes, more than 700 years ago Vaishno Devi a devotee of Lord Vishnu, used to pray to Lord Rama and had taken vow of celibacy. Bhairon Nath, a tantric (demon-God) tried to behold Her. Making use of his tantric powers, Bhairon Nath was able to see Her going towards the Trikuta mountains and gave chase. The Goddess felt thirsty at Banganga and shot an arrow into the earth from where water gushed out. Charan Paduka, marked by the imprints of Her feet, is the place where she rested. The Goddess then meditated in the cave at Adhkawari. It took Bhairon Nath nine months to locate Her, the reason why the cave is known as Garbh Joon. Mata Vaishno Devi blasted an opening at the other end of the cave with Her Trident when the demon-God located Her.
On arriving at the Holy Cave at Darbar, she assumed the form of Maha Kali and cut off Bhairon Nath’s head which was flung up the mountain by the force of the blow and fell at the place where the Bhairon Temple is now located. The boulder at the mouth of the Holy Cave according to the legend is the petrified torso of Bhairon Nath who was granted divine forgiveness by the benevolent Mata in his dying moments. –(Source ? Internet)
Author: Suzy Fontes- Mangalore
