Vaishno
Devi
Shrine
Trikuta
hill
is
the
base
camp
for
the
Vaishno
Devi
shrine.
Katra
is
48
km
from
Jammu
.
Considered
to
be
one
of
the
holiest
Hindu
pilgrimage
in
North
India
,
the
cave
is
the
abode
of
the
Mother
Goddess,
who
is
worshipped
here
in
the
forms
of
Maha
Kali,
Maha
Saraswati,
and
Maha
Lakshmi.
As
the
Goddess
welcomes
her
devotees
every
day,
the
number
of
pilgrims
in
this
hindu
pilgrimage
keeps
on
swelling
year
after
year.
Vaishno
Devi
is
not
merely
a
hindu
pilgrimage;
it
is
a
site
of
spiritual
cleansing
and
resuscitation
for
the
heart
that
truly
seeks
the
divine.
Jahan
Kosha
Jahan
Kosha,
huge
cannon,
is
about
1
km
of
Katra.Â
It
was
built
in
the
early
17th
century
by
craftsman
Janardan
Karmakar
of
Dhaka
.
Kadam
Sarif
is
a
beautiful
mosque
near
Jahan
Kosha
said
to
contain
a
replica
of
the
footprint
of
Hazrat
Mohammad,
the
prophet.
The
canon
is
17.5
ft
long
and
weighs
16,880
lb.,
with
a
girth
of
5
feet
at
the
touch
hole
end.
The
diameter
of
the
touch
hole
is
one
and
a
half
inches,
and
that
of
the
orifice
is
6
inches.
Shivkhori
The
Holy
Cave
abode
of
Lord
Shiva
is
situated
at
a
distance
of
70km
from
Katra.
The
cave
is
a
real
wonder
to
be
seen
and
measures
nearly
half
a
kilometre
in
length
with
a
4
feet
high
naturally
formed
Shiv-lingam
at
the
heart
of
the
Sanctum
Sanctorum.
The
cave
is
in
the
shape
of
Lord
Shiva's
Damroo
i.e.
wide
at
the
two
ends
while
very
congested
at
the
centre.
The
width
of
the
cave
is
so
less
at
certain
place
that
a
person
can
barely
crawl
through
whereas
at
places
it
over
a
hundred
feet
wide
and
quite
high
too.
There
are
lots
of
features
which
can
be
observed
in
the
cave,
however
the
best
of
them
is
the
natural
milky
water
dripping
from
the
top
to
the
Shiv-Ling
symbolizing
the
eternity
of
the
holy
river
Ganga.
Aghar
Jitto
Just
5
km
away
from
Katra
is
Aghar
Jitto,
the
Shrine
of
Baba
Jitto,
a
devotee
of
Mata
Vaishno
Devi
and
a
revolutionary
who
led
a
campaign
against
the
feudal
order.
According
to
legends,
a
dip
in
the
holy
spring
water,
flowing
in
front
of
the
shrine,
does
miracles
to
pre-natal
women
for
safe
delivery
of
children.
A
path
from
here
leads
to
Shri
Mata
Vaishno
Devi.
Dera
Baba
Banda
At
about
30
kms
from
Katra
lies
this
major
Hindu-Sikh
pilgrimage
centre.
Baba
Banda
Bairaagi
was
Guru
Gobind
Singh's
favourite
'Saint-soldier',
who
had
the
gurudwara
constructed
on
the
banks
of
river
Chenab,
where
he
spent
his
last
days.
Baba
Dhansar
Located
10
kms
from
Katra
(1
km
on
foot)
is
Baba
Dhansar,
a
beautiful
and
cool
picnic
spot.
Here,
a
huge
spring
gushes
out
of
the
mountainside
in
a
thick
grove
of
trees
and
forms
a
number
of
small
waterfalls
before
flowing
into
the
holy
Banganga.
Next
to
the
spring
in
a
small
grove
in
the
rock
face
is
a
naturally
formed
Shivling'
on
which
droplets
of
water
fall
naturally
all
the
year
round.
A
major
'mela'
(fair)
is
held
here
during
Shivratri.
Bawey
Wali
Mata
Just
4
km
from
Jammu
Railway
Station,
there
is
an
ancient
temple
of
Kali
Mata.
The
temple
is
inside
the
Fort
called
Bahu
Fort
on
the
name
of
its
king,
Raja
Bahu
Lochan,
son
of
Jambu
Lochan
the
founder
of
Jammu
city.
Pilgrims
throng
this
temple
everyday,
but
the
rush
on
Tuesdays
and
Sundays
is
remarkable.
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