Vaishno Devi Mata Temple

The Vaishno Devi Bhawan sits at 5,200 feet in the Trikuta mountains of Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir. The shrine is dedicated to Mata Vaishno Devi — a manifestation of the goddess as three pindis (natural rock formations) representing Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Kali. The cave shrine has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries; the modern infrastructure dates largely to the 1986 establishment of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which has built helicopter pads, ropeways, accommodation, and the new artificial cave that allows higher pilgrim throughput. Vaishno Devi is the second-most-visited temple in India after Tirupati, drawing 8 to 10 million pilgrims annually. The traditional approach is a 13-km uphill trek from Katra (the base town) — most pilgrims complete it in 6 to 8 hours on foot, by pony, or by palki (carried palanquin). Helicopter service from Katra to Sanjichhat (the upper helipad, 9.5 km up) is available year-round. Online registration at maavaishnodevi.org is mandatory before starting the climb. Navratri festival in October is the busiest period.