Vaishno Devi

The origins are shrouded in antiquity with Trikuta finding mentioned in Rigveda and Shakti worship being mentioned in the Puranas. It is said to have been rediscovered about 700 years ago by one Pandit Shridhar. One legend states that Mata Kali, Saraswati, and Lakshmi got together and combined their spiritual energy from which a young girl emerged. The Goddesses explained to her the purpose of her life and asked her to be reborn as a girl. She was reborn in the home of Ratnakar in South India and displayed divine spirituality at a young age. Named Vaishnavi, the girl chose to meditate and undertook penance in the forests where Lord Rama visited her. She recognized him as Vishnu’s incarnation and desired to merge herself into him but Rama refused, saying he would visit her another time and if she recognized him, her wish would be granted. The next time around, she failed to recognize him so the Lord asked her to meditate at the base of the Trikuta Hills to gain her wish. She set up an Ashram and people flocked to her feet. Gorakh Nath, a Tantrik, sent his disciple, Bhairon Nath to investigate her. Bhairavnath was charmed by her beauty and asked her to marry him and she refused. He pursued her and she went on to Banganga, Charan Paduka, Adhkuwari, and then finally to this cave, where Vaishnavi killed him and his severed head fell on a nearby hilltop, a place of pilgrimage too. Vaishno Devi decided to merge herself into the rocks and meditate in perpetuity and thus the three Pindis came into being and are there for eternity. The three rocks have a common base but each has a unique color and appears to be different in material makeup. This rock formation stands surrounded by water with a marble platform all around to permit devotees to worship. The Central Yellow-red Rock is Mata Lakshmi, representing wealth, prosperity, and happiness in life. To her left stands the black-colored Pindi of Mata Kali representing dark forces and her power to conquer such forces. To her left is the white-colored Pindi of Mata Saraswati representing purity, light, piety, wisdom, and knowledge. The Shrine is open 24 hours a day throughout the year and due to the long queues, pilgrims can only have a brief but highly fulfilling darshan. The highlight, for a pilgrim, is to attend the Aarti conducted once before sunrise and once before sunset, an elaborate, extended two-hour ritual where the Pindis are bathed in water, ghee, honey, sugar, and milk, after which the Pujari dresses the Goddesses to the chanting of mantras. Votive offerings follow. Pilgrims must stay outside the cave and are offered Prasad at the end. Pilgrims can opt for a special pooja ceremony.