Of
the various shrines in India, a visit to the Vaishno Devi Mandir is the most
desired. Hidden in a cave, nestled in the lap of a three-peaked mountain in
Jammu and Kashmir, Vaishno Devi Mandir finds its first mention in the Hindu
epic Mahabharata. It is said that Arjun, one of the Pandava brothers, prayed to
Mata Vaishno Devi for her blessings following their victory at Kurukshetra.
Millions from all walks of life make the arduous trek to the
Vaishno Devi shrine every year. It is believed that the pilgrimage cannot be
undertaken on a whim. It cannot even begin unless the goddess beckons.
The Legend
Legend has it the first call went out to Pandit Shridhar–a staunch
devotee of Shakti (a Hindu goddess and also a manifestation of power)–who saw
the goddess in his dream telling him to hold a feast for those in his village
and the neighbouring ones. A daunting task for a poor man, Shridhar nonetheless
went ahead. The goddess appeared at his house as a young woman named Vaishnavi
and helped Shridhar organise the feast. Despite not having the means to provide
for such a large gathering, he miraculously did not run short of food.
Meanwhile, one of the guests at the feast–Bhairavnath, an
occultist of ill repute known to have attained all siddhis (yogic powers) hounded
Vaishnavi, trying to take control of her. This forced her to flee and take
refuge in a cave in Trikuta, Jammu. But Bhairavnath found her using his powers.
This infuriated Vaishnavi and she took the form of Kali, the Hindu goddess of
destruction and death. She threw her trident at him with such force that it
decapitated him, and his head landed two kilometres away. With his life ebbing
away, Bhairavnath begged for her forgiveness. Taking the mercy, the goddess
forgave him and not only granted him moksha but also a boon. Today, the
pilgrimage to the shrine is incomplete without a visit to the Bhairavnath
temple which stands where his head fell.
Overwhelmed by the miracle of plenty at the feast, Pandit Shridhar
prayed to meet Vaishnavi to thank her. He saw a vision of her guiding him to
the cave. Upon reaching, he found a rock with three round stones (pindi)
immersed halfway in the water. He then had visions of Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi
and Maha Saraswati (three manifestations of Shakti), and spent his life in the
cave serving the goddess.
The Pilgrimage
The journey spanning 12 kilometres is mostly undertaken on foot.
It begins in Katra near Jammu and ends at Bhavan (the main temple) and takes
around four to five hours. The long walk, although now over a paved road, was
once arduous and treacherous with most devotees making the trek barefoot.
Today, the pilgrims also have the option of undertaking the
journey in a palanquin, on horseback or in a helicopter. The road is well lit
and has tea stalls and eateries which are always open. The atmosphere is one of
fervent devotion as chants of ‘Jai Mata Di’ resound in the air, and red
headbands with golden borders–believed to protect the pilgrims during the
ascent–flash in the sun.
At the goddess’ residence
The main temple called Bhavan is where the divine presence is felt
the most. It is believed the goddess resides here. On reaching the Bhavan,
devotees take a purifying dip in the Banganga River and then enter the cave
with the Pindi. The visit to the main temple comes to an end with a dip in the
river again. However, the pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi is incomplete without
paying obeisance to Bhairavnath. At 6,600 feet, his temple is at a higher
altitude and the path to it is much steeper and the air much thinner. Many are
not able to complete the pilgrimage just for this reason.
This pilgrimage is said to be nothing short of life-changing. Some
wait their entire lives to be summoned but never are. For those who make the
pilgrimage even once in their lives, it is a dream come true.
