Wanderlust Tales : Mata Ke Dwar Pe, Ek Yatra - An experience at the Vaishno Devi, Katra
MATA KE DWAR PE
"Chalo, Mata ka bulawa aaya hai" - it is only then, everything works in your favor to visit Mata in Vaishno Devi. 😊
Finally year 2018 marked the time when we were able to advent towards this auspicious religious tour.
Vaishno Devi, in Trikuta hills is at a height of 5200 ft and a yatra to Vaishno Devi is of a life time. Kudos, to the engineers who have paved the path to shorten this distance by just 24 kms to the top.
People have utmost faith in Mata who is an avatar of Goddess Durga and is among the 108 Shakti Peetha. People are drawn in huge numbers every year to pay their visit to Mata.
The route is open round the year.
No doubt, the government has facilitated well - to make everyone's journey worthwhile and comfortable.
Never the less, this was not it - on the way to Bangana - there are multiple shops on either side of the roads to purchase prasad, chunri, chadawa and walking sticks - the auto guy misled us here - saying buy everything here, as there are no shops post the check point.
Deeply hurt my sentiments , in a religious place like Katra - lying to get business is unthinkably preposterous and stooping low - on grounds of being in such an auspicious land, the least people can do is not misled the tourists in the city. "Mata ke ghar main rehte ho, unki kripa toh aap logon pe hamesa hi rahegi - why use unfair means to earn a living?!"
COMMENCEMENT OF THE YATRA:
The big white gate marks the start of the darshan. There is a thorough checking of your luggage - they strictly don't allow plastic bags/bottles - we eventually stuffed everything inside a handbag that we had, which caused us quite some inconvenience, but environment first.
There is separate queue for men and women for frisking - it is here they check the Yatra Parchi. The Yatra Parchi can be easily procured online be sure to be on time - as it is said they allow only a specific number of people atop.
From here you can feel a closeness to God which lingers with you through your yatra. There is Mata ka jaap all in the air.😊
Make sure to procure the Yatra Parchi online or you could get at the airports/railway stations too at a price of Rs.50/-.
From here starts the trek of almost 12 kms - we were quite enthusiastic and kept our energies high.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP:
There are a lot of ponies, horses, palkis options for people who can't walk or don't want to walk the distance. There is a fixed price set by the Government - not very sure if that is followed - as we walked to and fro.
Frankly, the horses/ponies create a lot of menace, although the streets are being cleaned regularly but it is of no avail as there number of horses running on the streets and people walking is significant which causes quite a chaos on the pathways.
It is till AdhKumari, you will have to bear with this brunt - more than the mess, it is the odor which leaves you really suffocated.
At some points, they have also placed railings to divide the pathway - but the horse riders don't oblige, barging in wherever they find space.
But frankly, I also feel horses, donkeys and humans are highly misused - horses being used for innumerable trips to and fro, donkeys are used to carry all the load from the base at Banagana to the top and it was very sad to see few child laborers pulling a cart with heavy machinery to their way up - it is sad to see the amount of the hard-work they are putting in - humans and animals.
KEEP HUNGER AT BAY:
We started at about 14:00 hours from Bangana - the heat was scorching and that took a toll on us. We kept ourselves hydrated with sugarcane juices, water , coffee all through the way. It was nice to find a CCD on the way - which seemed a reasonable and relative clean place to dine. 👌
There are tons of eateries and shops selling variety of items - but mind you everything is at a cost double the MRP - you can call it the price of convenience.
There are Government run Bhojanalays at every 1 km - where they sell water at MRP. These bhojanalyas are filled till the brim, since everything sold here is at a reasonable price compared to others.
They have multiple dispensaries, mineral water dispenser at short distances.
There are helpline number provided through the way - but as prepaid networks don't work here - this is useful only if you hold a postpaid connection.
YATRA:
As you ascend each level, at various junctions you would find dhol tasha also - people cheering you up, singing songs - of course, you can give some dakshina.
All through the walk - you will witness the beauty of Jammu amidst the green mountains. Don't miss to click few photos of this mesmerizing beauty.
ADHKUWARI:
Once you reach Himkot, you can either walk to AdhkuWari or make your way to Bhawan directly.
Mind you going directly cuts short the distance by almost 1 to 1.5 kms.
AdhkuWari is where Mata used to reside earlier in a gufa before being moved to Bhawan.
It is believed she resided here for 9 months before making Bhawan her abode.
Here it is crowded beyond measure, people have queued up for darshans which can happen only the next morning per their token number. People are allowed only in batches and in certain timings - hence the wait.
We did not attempt this darshan, as we had very limited time in hand.
From Adhkuwari, we took the first flight of stairs visible and climbed up. But noticing a considerably lesser crowd, we asked few folks if it was the right path for Bhawan.
It was then they informed that this pathway is steeper and mostly for horses/ponies.
TOWARDS BHAWAN:
There is another less steeper road for walking purposes - and it was here that there were no animals beyond this point. You have to enter a small passage and you would come out to this pathway - which also surprisingly seemed quite vacant comparatively.
On these roads e-cars ply which are available till 22:00 hours for 300 bucks from Adhkuwari.
FRESHEN UP:
Once you reach Bhawan, you can either bathe or change your clothes before you take the darshan. There are designated bathing ghats.
Do carry light pullovers, as it gets really cold in the night as it is at a height of 5200 ft. We literally battled the cold, as we were not carrying any woolens. Although the government aids in providing free blankets - but since we were already delayed, we didn't want to kill time finding the place providing them.
I felt there is lack of directions and information provided to the devotees.
LOCKERS:
There are three lockers available free of cost to keep your belongings - the day we were here, it was the first day of Navratras festival. Unfortunately we reached Bhawan right at the time of aarti - during which people who are in for the darshan can't leave till the arti is over.
In the process, we ended up waiting for almost 3 hours - till the lockers cleared up. On other timings, it seems there isn't such a mad rush for the lockers.So I would suggest carry bare minimum such that you could leave your belongings outside and proceed for the darshan without any delay, if such a situation occurs.
PRASAD:
Right in front of Locker 1 - is the authorized prasad procuring center, selling prasad, Chunri, chadawa
at a much reasonable rate.
STAMPING OF YATRA PARCHI:
It is here, next to the locker room, in a booth that you can get your Yatra Parchi stamped too.
DARSHAN:
Our darshan was very swift, once in the queue - in a matter of 15 minutes we were able to do the darshan. They have TV screens mounted which show the live view of Mata.
They frisk you again, as you make way for the final darshan and throw away all edibles and also the walking sticks.
It was first day of Navarata - and the entire place was decorated immensely beautifully with flowers. Apparently these flowers has been imported all the way from Europe. It was impeccable - the colors, the decorations, it will just won our heart. 😍💚
Once inside the main building, there are again a lot many eateries - it is here you can book helicopter rides too. Helicopters ply only from 7 in the morning to 22:00 in the evening.
You will also get to see the the gufa which used to open earlier - the passage looks so small but apparently people can easily pass through - now you can see Hanuman ji ka murthi residing there.
Mind you the prasad is not offered directly to the Goddess. The coconut in the prasad bag is collected and a token is given against it. After your darshan, as you are leaving you can collect a coconut with that token.
And there are two pouches handed - one with mishri and the other with a coin which can be your souvenir of the journey.
For us took us almost 15 hours for the darshan and reaching our hotel back - a distance of 24 kms was covered totally.
US:
Cheers to life!!
~Believe in yourself always!
"Chalo, Mata ka bulawa aaya hai" - it is only then, everything works in your favor to visit Mata in Vaishno Devi. 😊
Finally year 2018 marked the time when we were able to advent towards this auspicious religious tour.
Vaishno Devi, in Trikuta hills is at a height of 5200 ft and a yatra to Vaishno Devi is of a life time. Kudos, to the engineers who have paved the path to shorten this distance by just 24 kms to the top.
People have utmost faith in Mata who is an avatar of Goddess Durga and is among the 108 Shakti Peetha. People are drawn in huge numbers every year to pay their visit to Mata.
The route is open round the year.
No doubt, the government has facilitated well - to make everyone's journey worthwhile and comfortable.
HOW TO GET HERE:
From our hotel at Ginger,Katra to reach Bangana, which is the starting point of the darshan - the auto charged us Rs.100/- for a distance of less than 1.5 kms.
The tourists or rather the devotees are looted immensely by these auto and taxi guys. On one hand I understand, people thrive on this business but is it good to make quick money like this - just because there are no other options available at our disposal - these guys try to optimize from your situation. 😢Never the less, this was not it - on the way to Bangana - there are multiple shops on either side of the roads to purchase prasad, chunri, chadawa and walking sticks - the auto guy misled us here - saying buy everything here, as there are no shops post the check point.
Deeply hurt my sentiments , in a religious place like Katra - lying to get business is unthinkably preposterous and stooping low - on grounds of being in such an auspicious land, the least people can do is not misled the tourists in the city. "Mata ke ghar main rehte ho, unki kripa toh aap logon pe hamesa hi rahegi - why use unfair means to earn a living?!"
The big white gate marks the start of the darshan. There is a thorough checking of your luggage - they strictly don't allow plastic bags/bottles - we eventually stuffed everything inside a handbag that we had, which caused us quite some inconvenience, but environment first.
There is separate queue for men and women for frisking - it is here they check the Yatra Parchi. The Yatra Parchi can be easily procured online be sure to be on time - as it is said they allow only a specific number of people atop.
From here you can feel a closeness to God which lingers with you through your yatra. There is Mata ka jaap all in the air.😊
From here starts the trek of almost 12 kms - we were quite enthusiastic and kept our energies high.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP:
There are a lot of ponies, horses, palkis options for people who can't walk or don't want to walk the distance. There is a fixed price set by the Government - not very sure if that is followed - as we walked to and fro.
Frankly, the horses/ponies create a lot of menace, although the streets are being cleaned regularly but it is of no avail as there number of horses running on the streets and people walking is significant which causes quite a chaos on the pathways.
It is till AdhKumari, you will have to bear with this brunt - more than the mess, it is the odor which leaves you really suffocated.
At some points, they have also placed railings to divide the pathway - but the horse riders don't oblige, barging in wherever they find space.
But frankly, I also feel horses, donkeys and humans are highly misused - horses being used for innumerable trips to and fro, donkeys are used to carry all the load from the base at Banagana to the top and it was very sad to see few child laborers pulling a cart with heavy machinery to their way up - it is sad to see the amount of the hard-work they are putting in - humans and animals.
We started at about 14:00 hours from Bangana - the heat was scorching and that took a toll on us. We kept ourselves hydrated with sugarcane juices, water , coffee all through the way. It was nice to find a CCD on the way - which seemed a reasonable and relative clean place to dine. 👌
There are tons of eateries and shops selling variety of items - but mind you everything is at a cost double the MRP - you can call it the price of convenience.There are Government run Bhojanalays at every 1 km - where they sell water at MRP. These bhojanalyas are filled till the brim, since everything sold here is at a reasonable price compared to others.
They have multiple dispensaries, mineral water dispenser at short distances.
There are helpline number provided through the way - but as prepaid networks don't work here - this is useful only if you hold a postpaid connection.
YATRA:
As you ascend each level, at various junctions you would find dhol tasha also - people cheering you up, singing songs - of course, you can give some dakshina.
Avoid the stairs at all costs, although it might seem lucrative as it lowers the distance considerably - but the aftermath is grievous. 😓
All through the walk - you will witness the beauty of Jammu amidst the green mountains. Don't miss to click few photos of this mesmerizing beauty.
Once you reach Himkot, you can either walk to AdhkuWari or make your way to Bhawan directly.
Mind you going directly cuts short the distance by almost 1 to 1.5 kms.
It is believed she resided here for 9 months before making Bhawan her abode.
Here it is crowded beyond measure, people have queued up for darshans which can happen only the next morning per their token number. People are allowed only in batches and in certain timings - hence the wait.
We did not attempt this darshan, as we had very limited time in hand.
It was then they informed that this pathway is steeper and mostly for horses/ponies.
TOWARDS BHAWAN:
There is another less steeper road for walking purposes - and it was here that there were no animals beyond this point. You have to enter a small passage and you would come out to this pathway - which also surprisingly seemed quite vacant comparatively.
Mind you, in this path there are big rocks which fall down once a while - they have put multiple warning signs in areas which are more prone to rockfall.
STAMPING OF YATRA PARCHI:
At one point on the way to Bhawan - you need to get your parchi stamped - don't miss on that - I am not sure if that matters - because frankly our parchi was not checked anywhere. You will notice a registration booth with queues formed.
At one point on the way to Bhawan - you need to get your parchi stamped - don't miss on that - I am not sure if that matters - because frankly our parchi was not checked anywhere. You will notice a registration booth with queues formed.
FRESHEN UP:
Once you reach Bhawan, you can either bathe or change your clothes before you take the darshan. There are designated bathing ghats.
Do carry light pullovers, as it gets really cold in the night as it is at a height of 5200 ft. We literally battled the cold, as we were not carrying any woolens. Although the government aids in providing free blankets - but since we were already delayed, we didn't want to kill time finding the place providing them.
I felt there is lack of directions and information provided to the devotees.
LOCKERS:
There are three lockers available free of cost to keep your belongings - the day we were here, it was the first day of Navratras festival. Unfortunately we reached Bhawan right at the time of aarti - during which people who are in for the darshan can't leave till the arti is over.
In the process, we ended up waiting for almost 3 hours - till the lockers cleared up. On other timings, it seems there isn't such a mad rush for the lockers.So I would suggest carry bare minimum such that you could leave your belongings outside and proceed for the darshan without any delay, if such a situation occurs.
PRASAD:
Right in front of Locker 1 - is the authorized prasad procuring center, selling prasad, Chunri, chadawa
at a much reasonable rate.
STAMPING OF YATRA PARCHI:
It is here, next to the locker room, in a booth that you can get your Yatra Parchi stamped too.
Our darshan was very swift, once in the queue - in a matter of 15 minutes we were able to do the darshan. They have TV screens mounted which show the live view of Mata.
They frisk you again, as you make way for the final darshan and throw away all edibles and also the walking sticks.
It was first day of Navarata - and the entire place was decorated immensely beautifully with flowers. Apparently these flowers has been imported all the way from Europe. It was impeccable - the colors, the decorations, it will just won our heart. 😍💚
Once inside the main building, there are again a lot many eateries - it is here you can book helicopter rides too. Helicopters ply only from 7 in the morning to 22:00 in the evening.
From the main building, again queues are formed for the darshan. Near the final gufa where Mata presides now, where there is a single line maintained. Steadily the line progressed, and we were able to have a good darshan of Mata - "Jai Mata Di!!". So serene and peaceful - felt nice to finally do the darshan. 🙏 The gufa was decorated breathtakingly beautifully.
They had also put up Mata ke avataars made of flowers - artisan's work.
Mind you the prasad is not offered directly to the Goddess. The coconut in the prasad bag is collected and a token is given against it. After your darshan, as you are leaving you can collect a coconut with that token.
And there are two pouches handed - one with mishri and the other with a coin which can be your souvenir of the journey.
US:
KEEP IN MIND :
- Do not carry any bags - carry bare minimum.
- Procure the Yatra Parchi before in hand preferably online.
- Avoiding carrying plastic.
- Purchase the prasad for chadawa from Bhawan only.
- Avoid the steps.
- Stay hydrated.
- Carry head gear, sunglasses.
- Wear comfortable clothing preferably something sober.
- Wear canvas shoes/sport shoes.
- Carry a pair of socks in case you don't want to do the darshan bare feet - after you leave your belongings in the locker. Trust the pair of socks saves your feet to a great extent.
- Don't carry any valuables.
- If you are taking ponies/horses/palkis - make sure you check their IDs.
- Carry light winter wear even during summers - because at the night it is quite chilly.
Cheers to life!!
~Believe in yourself always!
Comments
Post a Comment