Vaishno Devi
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| Mata Vaishno Devi | |
|---|---|
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| Coordinates: | 33.0299°N 74.9482°ECoordinates: 33.0299°N 74.9482°E |
| Name | |
| Proper name: | Vaishno Devi Mandir |
| Location | |
| Country: | India |
| State: | Jammu and Kashmir |
| Location: | Vaishno Devi |
| Architecture and culture | |
| Primary deity: | Vaishno Devi (Shakti) |
| Architectural styles: | Hinduism |
| History | |
| Creator: | Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board |
| Website: | http://www.maavaishnodevi.org/ |
Not to be confused with Vaishnavi (Matrika goddess).
| An article related to |
| Hinduism |
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In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess. The words "maa" and "mata" are commonly used in India for "mother", and thus are often used in connection with Vaishno Devi.
The words "mandir" and "mandira" are commonly used in India for "Hindu temple", and so these words are also often used in connection with Vaishno Devi. Vaishno Devi Mandir (Hindi: वैष्णोदेवी मन्दिर) is one of the holy Hindu temples dedicated to Shakti, located at the Trikuta Mountains within the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
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[hide]Hindu deity[edit]
According to shikhir Hindu epic,[which?] Maa Vaishno Devi was born in the south of India in the home of Ratnakar Sagar.
Her worldly parents had remained childless for a long time. Ratnakar had promised, the night before the birth of the Divine child, that he would not interfere with whatever his child desired. Ma Vaishno Devi was called Trikuta as a child. Later She was called Vaishnavi because of Her birth from Lord Vishnu's lineage. When Trikuta was 9 years old, She sought her father's permission for doing penance on the seashore. Trikuta prayed to Lord Vishnu in the form of Rama. During Shree Rama's search for Sita, He reached the seashore with His army. His eyes fell on this Divine Girl in deep meditation. Trikuta told ShreeRama that she had accepted him as her husband. Lord Rama told her that he couldn't accept her as he was obligate with one wife consort in this life but promised her to meet in Kalyug. In the meantime Shree Rama asked Trikuta to meditate in the cave found in the Trikuta Range of Manik Mountains in northern India. Lord Ram gave her a bow and arrows, an army of monkeys and a lion for her protection. Ma observed the 'Navratra' for the Victory of Shree Rama against Ravana. Hence one reads the Ramayana during the nine days ofNavratra, in remembrance of the above connection. Shree Rama promised that the whole world would sing Ma Vaishno Devi's praise. Lord Rama said Trikuta was to become famous as Vaishno Devi and would become immortal forever. The abode of Maa Vaishno devi is attaining huge pilgrimage attraction due to Lord Rama's blessings to the goddess.[1]
Story of Shree-Dhar[edit]
With the passage of time many more stories about the Mother Goddess emerged. One such story is about Shree-Dhar.
Shree-Dhar was an ardent devotee of Ma Vaishno Devi. He resided in a village called Hansali, 2 km from the present Katra town. Once Ma appeared to him in the form of a bewitching girl. The girl asked the humble Pandit to hold a 'Bhandara' (a feast to feed the mendicants and devotees). The Pandit set out to invite people from the village and nearby places. He also invited 'Bhairav Nath', a selfish tantrik. Bhairav Nath asked Shri-Dhar how he was planning to fulfill the requirements. He reminded him of the bad consequences in case of failure. As Panditji was lost in worry, the Divine girl appeared and told Him not to be despondent as everything had been arranged. She asked that over 360 devotees be seated in the small hut. True to Her word the Bhandara went smoothly with food and place to spare.
Bhairav Nath admitted that the girl had supernatural powers and decided to test Her further. He followed the Divine girl to Trikuta Hills. For nine months Bhairav Nath was searching for the mystic girl in the mountains, who he believed was an incarnation of the Mother Goddess. While running away from Bhairav, Devi shot an arrow into the Earth from which water gushed out. The resultant river is known as Baanganga. It is believed that by taking a bath in Baanganga (baan: arrow), a believer of the Mother Goddess can wash away all his sins. The banks of the river, known as Charan Paduka, are marked by Devi's foot imprints, which remain intact till date. Vaishno Devi then took shelter in a cave known as Garbh Joon near Adhkawari where she meditated for nine months attaining spiritual wisdom and powers. Her meditation was cut short when Bhairav located her. Vaishno Devi was then compelled to take the form of Maha Kali when Bhairav tried to kill her. The manifestation of the Mother Goddess took place at the mouth of the Holy cave at Darbar. The Goddess then beheaded Bhairav with such sheer force that his skull fell at a place known as Bhairav Ghati, 2.5 km from the Holy Cave.
In his dying moments, Bhairav pleaded for forgiveness. The Goddess knew that Bhairav's main intention in attacking her was to achieve salvation. She granted Bhairav liberation from the cycle of reincarnation and granted him a boon, whereby every devotee, to ensure completion of the pilgrimage, had to visit Bhairav Nath's temple near the Holy cave after the darshan of the Goddess. Meanwhile Vaishno Devi assumed the shape of a rock with three pindis (heads) and immersed herself into meditation forever.
Meanwhile, Pandit Shree-Dhar became impatient. He started to march towards Trikuta Mountain on the same path that he had witnessed in a dream. He ultimately reached the cave mouth. He made a daily routine of worshiping the ')|pindis' in several ways. His worship pleased the Goddess. She appeared in front of him and blessed him. Since that day, Shree-Dhar and his descendants have been worshiping the Goddess Mother Vaishno Devi.[2]
Hindu temple[edit]
Vaishno Devi Temple is near the town of Katra, Jammu and Kashmir; in the Reasi district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is one of the most revered places of worship in India. The shrine is at an altitude of 5300 feet and a distance of approximately 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from Katra.[3] About 8 million pilgrims (yatris) visit the temple every year[4] and it is the second most visited religious shrine in India, after Tirumala Venkateswara Temple. The Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board maintains the shrine. A rail link from Udhampur toKatra is recently completed to facilitate pilgrimage. The nearest airport is Jammu Airport which has very high flight frequency, and is served by all leading domestic airlines. This place contains three idols of Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Kali, which are all images of Vaishno Devi.[5]
The Vaishno Devi Maa Shrine as a Shakti Peeth[edit]
Main articles: Daksha Yaga and Shakti Peethas
The shrine is worshiped as a Shakti Peetha which believes its association towards the mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation as its origin. Shakti Peethas are shrines enshrined with the presence of Shakti due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi, when Lord Shiva carried it and wandered throughout in sorrow. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit.[6][7][8]
Access[edit]
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 KashmirGovernment to integrate permit slips for Vaishno Devi Darshan with the train ticket. The passenger can get permit slips while booking the train ticket.[9]
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