At 3,888 metre height from the sea level, the Amarnath as a cave has enormous scientific importance. It is situated at 145 kms away from idyllic Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is indeed famous for its stalagmite (pillar formed of ice) heap symbolised at the phallus of Bhagwan Shiva, the Hindu God of reproduction and destroyer.
Every year in the frosty thick of winters, the stalagmite takes form of the phallus and remains almost the same throughout the year. It is also called ‘Lingam’ in Sanskrit, symbolised as the Lord’s existence, and is worshipped by millions of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikh of the holiest of all Hindu shrines, Mata Vaishno Devi is the divine incarnation of Shakti, the innate power required to fulfil a noble mission. Located atop the sylvan hills of Jammu, the goddess is also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, revered by all factions of Hindus, Buddhists Sikhs and Jains. According to Hindu scriptures, Mata Vaishno Devi is a manifestation of Mother Goddess.
The temple is a small cave at an altitude of 5,200 feet near Katra in Udhampur district of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Millions of devotees trek up the altitude which is indeed a 12 kms or 7.45 miles of uphill trek amid changing climes. According to records, the shrine is the second most visited among all shrines in the country after Thirupati Balaji Temple.
As the legend has it, the very birth of Mata Vaishno Devi was from a divine strategy to contain Asuras, the incarnation of Evils. Goddess Shakti was engaged in untiring wars against the Asuras and decided to build up a strategy to permanently contain them. She invoked three of e manifestations Goddess Mahakali, Goddess Mahalakshmi and Goddess Mahasaraswati. Together from collective power they created a beautiful girl. Thereafter, they asked the newborn to go to earth (Martya) and educate the humans and the even demons, as and when situation would so arise, the lessons of piety and righteousness so that they can reach higher levels of consciousness. They asked her to take birth in a family of righteous couple, and assume the name of Vaishnavi. They even identified the couple as Ratnakar and his wife. Ratnakar and his wife were devouts of Goddess Shakti and lived a serene pious life of righteousness. They also said to her that the moment she would herself attain that consciousness, she would merge with Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Creator. As they blessed the girl, she vanished and took birth at Ratnakar Sagar’s who lived in southern part of the country (Martya).
As was the divine ordain, Ratnakar and his wife had named the newborn as Vaishnavi. From the beginning Vaishnavi was inquisitive in nature, and soon as she grew up, she evinced keen interests in knowledge and learning. She developed hunger for knowledge and taught people around her how to live righteously. She soon became an incarnation of piety, valour and honesty, Soon as she started learning the truth of inner self, she sensed existence of deeper knowledge. Gradually she also learnt how to meditate and do penance for knowledge.
Not satiated by what she would manage to get at her home, he relinquished her household comforts and went to jungles o carry out her tapasya for deeper knowledge.
It was this time the mundane girl, Vaishnavi, became conscious of her attachment to Lord Vishnu. It was also the time when Lord Rama, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Satya Yuga, happened to be there in the run up for His the Asura Emperor Ravana during His 14-year period at Vanavas. Realising who indeed Ramachandra was, Vaishnavi prayed top be mergedwith him, so to be part of thr Supreme Creator.
It was not the right time for Lord Ramachandra to get involved in such things, as he was chasing the Evil Crown, Ravana. Assiduously He pacified Vashnavi promising He would do as she wished after He returned, at an appropriate time.
Vakta-batsal Ramachandra did of course return after his fiery victory over Ravana, but found Vashnavi still not being able to recognise this time and thus He realised she was not mature enough to be taken into the fold of the Supreme Creation. He consoled her telling He would do what the divine ordain had destined for her when He would re-emerge as a new avatar of Kalki in the Kali Yuga. Meantime, she should go for hard penance at an ashram which she should set up atop the Trikuta hills.
There by the power of her penance she should give salvation to the poverty-stricken people and the destitute, only then Lord Vishnu would appear before her. She did just that. Soon throughout she became popular. People thronged around her coming from all parts of the world. There was a fiery sage Gorakh Nath, who had envisioned what had transpired between Lord Rama and Vashnavi. Soon he became curious about whether Vaishnavi was able to attain the supreme truth and spirituality. He sent his trusted disciple, who actually was an Asura named Bhairon Nath, to evaluate her level of spirituality.
Bhairon Nath first located the Ashram secretively and then looked at her regularly form a safe distance without her knowledge. He kept the distance because he had noticed the pious woman was carrying her bow and arrows with her always, everywhere. Enamoured at her beauty, Bhairon Nath fell for her, he came out of his hiding and proposed to marry her, which she promptly spurned.
STAGES OF TREKKING
On foot the hill up
● Trekking starts from Katra, Darshini Darwaja, Banganga Temple & Bridge, Charan Paduka Temple, Adikumari, Hathimatha Ascent & Holy mother Shrine, Pattni top and the scenic beauty of Jammu & Kashmir.
A few days later, a devout of Vashnavi arranged for a Bhandara for the ascetics, the poor and the destitute. Among the invited were Gorakh Nath and his disciples. During the feast, at certain moment Bhairon tried to catch hold of Vaishnavi, but failed. Vashnavi dodged him, vanished from the place and made him chase her. Bhairon was adamant and did not realise what was the divine ordain, he continued the chase.
Slowly Vashnavi entered the jungles, then vanished in the mountains. She had thought to create a seat for herself there in the mountains, and carry out her tapasya peacefully, without any distraction like Bhairon’s. But undaunted Bhairon continued to chase and even found her new Ashram. In her flight, Vashnavi stopped at Banganga, Charana Paduka and Adhknuari. The demon chased her there also. Finally she took shelter inside the cave, which had a very narrow mouth as opening, the moment Bhairon neared her, Vanshnavi struck enough to behead the demon. It was at that moment Bhairon realised that there was something divine associated with her. He repented, and prayed for her mercy. The goddess incarnation Vaishnavi felt pity at him, and assured that he would be given some solace by making him remembered.
She proclaimed that all devotees who would visit her temple for worshipping her, would have to visit the spot where Bhairon was beheaded, otherwise the devotee’s pilgrimage would not be accomplished. Since that day, it has been the ritual for all devouts to visit the temple of Bhairon also after visiting the temple of Vaishno Devi Mata.
HOW TO REACH THE SHRINE
By Bus/Private Cars
Below is mentioned the easiest way to reach the Holy Cave.
● Travel up to Jammu and then Katra. From Katra on foot, on mules or on porters-carried Doli to uphill shrine.
By Train
● Trains from all parts of the country upto Jammu Railway Station. From Jammu to Katra by road transports such as Buses, Mini Buses, Taxi Service and Private Cars.
● The new train link between Udhampur and Katra is already a tourists’ marvel. The 25-km track has a 3.5-km tunnel. The link covers the region through nine big, 29 small bridges and a 3.5 km tunnel. A bridge with 90-metre pier is the tallest bridge covering 150 metre in width. This has cut down the travails of journeying from interior terrains to the shrine.
FACTS A PILGRIM MUST KNOW
● Altitude : 2,212 mtrs.
● Alternate to trekking : Pony-ride or Dandi (Palanquin) carried by two bearers. There are also Pithus, who carry children or old on their backs up the hills to the shrine for a fee.
● Travel permission
Issued by Tourist Reception Centre, Katra
● Best time of visit
April to June and September to October. However people visit the shrine all through the year, even in rains and frosty winter.
● Temperature
Chilly breeze at plains, frosty or biting cold at night.
There are plenty of hotels, night shelters, guest houses, and even re4sidents sparing a room for a night or two to yatris with families, for a quick buck. It is always advisable that yatris should hire people or ponies only from GovernmentRegistered sources, or they might even be cheated. The number of pilgrims increase there every year. It is humanly not possible to keep track on the clandestine activities.
Throughout the trekking terrains, there are umpteen numbers of teastalls, small shops for goodies, condiments and necessary usable articles, toilets and drinking water points. Foods are served pure vegetarian and prepared in proper edible oils. As most of these shops are subsidised by government agencies, NGOs and religious organisations, foods are not costly.
Toilets or other public utilities are fitted with automatic flushing systems along the track and at all shelter points. This has been made particularly to avoid catching up contagious diseases.
On reaching Bhawan, show your Yatra Slip at the Registration Office and obtain the Batch no. provided on the slip. This number is important as it will determine your place in the queue for darshan. The pilgrims are required to show their Registration Slips at the Bhawan, for onward entry passes to the temple atop. The Bhawan would take care of the pilgrims’ luggage and would release them only on return. The Bhawan also provides necessary blankets, at a deposit of a refundable amount.
