Day 2: 24^th - Vaishno Davi Yatra

I had enquired the earlier day about the darshan to Vaishno devi and the hotel management were kind enough to guide me through the entire process. Had a quick shower early in the morning and took an auto which leaded to the counter where I could get my entry pass or the ID once my Aadhar was approved and checked. From there the auto driver took me to the starting point of the trek. The Vaishno Devi trek from Katra to the Bhawan (where the shrine is located) is approximately 13 kilometers. The journey to the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is an enchanting journey of the places where Mata Vaishnavi had spent some time while observing various spiritual disciplines and penances. The culmination of this journey is at the Holy Cave where She merged Her Human form with the astral form of Her creators, the three Supreme Energies.Pilgrims can choose to walk, or opt for various modes of transport like ponies, electric vehicles, or even helicopter rides. According to Hindu beliefs, the original abode of Vaishno Devi was Ardha Kunwari , a place about halfway between Katra town and the cave. She meditated in the cave for 9 months just like how a baby stays in its mother's womb for 9 months. It is said that when Bhairav Nath ran after Vaishno Devi to catch her. The Devi reached near a cave in the hill, she called up Hanuman and told him that "I would do penance in this cave for nine months, till then you should not allow Bhairav Nath to enter the cave." Hanuman obeyed the mother's orders. Bhairavnath was kept outside this cave and today this holy cave is known as 'Ardha Kunwari'.

I opted horse ride was quite an experience! Stopped after an hour for the maggi breakfast while the horse got fed too.Reached ardha kuwari and proceeded towards Vaishno Devi shirne. There are separate counters for shoe and luggage. Had the darshana by 1:30 PM. It was blissful. I was feeling blessed. After resting for a while, headed towards Bhairav nath mandir.From there it was time to decent. The view from Bhairav nath mandir was spectacular.One can encounter helicopters passing by from the base and the mountains covering the entire city can be caught in one view! There are plenty of eateries and shopping stalls all along the way to snatch away the boredom.Had my lunch in one of the restaurants and took a foot massage as well! (30/- for half an hour). Once I reached base, I had to return back my ID card in a counter and took an auto to reach back my hotel. There are absolutely no non vegetarian hotels in Katra as per my knowledge and that was an added advantage to vegetarian tourists like me. Tons of dhabas and mini hotels were aligned beside the road which does justice to the taste buds.

Day 3: 25^th - Katra Sight seeing-Baba Agar Jitto,Nau devi,Baba Dhansar,Shihad baba waterfall.

The day’s plan was decided the previous night. The hotel management introduced me to a local sightseeing person and the deal was done. He picked me up by 10 AM in the morning and below were the places visited.

Baba Aghar Jitto temple :

Every year three-day historic Aghar Jitto Mela is organized at Aghar Jitto village in the month of June.This year this mela will be commenced from 21st of June. This mela is organised to salute the courage of a legendary Dogra hero Baba Jitto Mal. This ancient religious place is situated in the lap of Trikuta Hills on Katra -Reasi road where lakhs of devotees from different parts of the country visit to pay their obeisance. As per the religious rites, the devotees of Baba Jitto perform the rituals on the bank of river Chenab.Security, safe drinking water, un-interrupted power supply, adequate provision of essential commodities, sanitation, fire services, medical services, transport arrangements etc. are provided to the devotees by the district administration. Agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and other allied departments actively participate and exhibit their stalls signifying various agricultural and other allied sectors technologies in the mela.The Baba Jitto Mela is an important annual congregation of farmers and other pilgrims who assemble at Aghar Jitto village to pay homage to Dogra folk hero Baba Jitto.The fair is held every year to honour and celebrate the memory of 15th-16th century folk hero Baba Jitto, who laid down his life to defend the values of honesty and justice.Like many other folk heroes who begin their life as an ordinary person but are transformed into someone extraordinary by performing significant life events in their lives. Baba Jitto, originally named as Jit Mal, was an honest and truthful farmer of village Aghar Jitto. Baba Jitto was a Brahmin and great devotee of Mata Vaishno Devi. His aunt Jojan was having hostile behaviour towards him and finally he decided to leave the village along with his daughter Bua Kori. He went to his friend, Iso Megh at Kahnachak and there he requested Mehta Bir Singh, a feudal lord of the Ambgrota, to provide a piece of land for farming.Mehta Bir Singh gave Jit Mal a piece of barren and unfertile land after signing an agreement, that he will take one-fourth of the total produce. Jit Mal’s hard work transformed the unfertile and barren land which finally yielded an excellent crop. When Bir Singh came to know about the excellent crop yield, he arrived at the fields along with his men and instructed them to lift three fourth of the crop yield and leave only a quarter for Jit Mal.Baba Jitto requested Mehta Bir Singh to follow the terms and conditions of the agreement but Mehta forcibly took the major share of the crop. Injustice done by Mehta compelled Jit Mal to stab himself after sitting on the heap of grains which got wet by his blood. Her daughter Bua Kori with help of their pet dog Kalu, found the dead body of her father which was hidden in the Simbal tree trunk by the goons of Mehta. She then lit the pyre and burnt herself with her father.After that a fierce rain storm raged the area, the blood strained grains were washed away and all those people, even the birds, who had taken those grains later suffered from various ailments, untimely deaths, misfortunes etc. In order to seek pardon from the wrath of the holy great spirit, they not only asked for his forgiveness by worshiping him as a ‘Kuldevta’-family deity, but also making it mandatory for their future generations to venerate Baba Jitto and pay annual homage to him. There’s also spring water that flows in front of the shrine. It is believed that water of this spring is holy. Samadhi of Baba jItto was laid at Jhiri where also a mela is organised in Oct.-Nov. Local people of the area offers grains to Baba Jitto after harvest. Different events like Arti, Kirtan, Sobha Yatra, folk songs, plays, sports etc. are organised during the mela.
It is said that if a childless lady takes bath in the pond she is blessed with a child.Aghar Jitto mela witnesses great hustle and bustle during three-day festival as pilgrims families and various groups belonging to diverse communities and hailing from different parts of the country assemble there to pay obeisance at the Baba Jitto temple and seek his blessings and the blessings of his daughter-Bua Kouri. People from every nook and corners have also been visiting this spot throughout the year and enjoy the unique place of spirituality. Especially the members of local and outside communities, who worship Baba Jitto as a Kuldevta (family deity) come here to pay obeisance on occasions of important events in their families like marriage, birth of child, mundan (tonsuring ceremony) or simply to thank or entreat the Baba for his continuing protection and blessings. Baba Jitto Mela, the farmer’s fair like other such congregations is a spectacle to behold.During the fair, exhibitions and stalls are organized by different government departments like agriculture, horticulture ,floriculture, animal husbandry, rural development etc. to aware the people about various technologies, government schemes and incentives so that people could avail the benefits. Most of the stalls of eatables especially Jalebi and Pakoras, which is a specialty of the mela, are being run by local people.

Nau devi :

The Nau Devi Cave Temple can be accessed easily via road, as it is located around 10 kilometres from Katra. exquisitely concealed within the contours of the Katra hills. This temple, which is dedicated to the nine forms of goddess Durga, is set on a rock and can only be reached by climbing. The temple is famous for the enchanting beauty and magical blessings it has to offer to tourists.

Taking a trip to Katra would definitely be incomplete without visiting the Nau Devi Cave Temple. It will most certainly enhance the experience and peace sought after by many religious people. And due to the region’s scenic beauty, a trek towards the temple is also full of adventure. The temple is situated on the rock, which gives it a majestic view all around. 

The Spiritual Significance of Nau Devi Cave Temple:

This temple holds high status among the Hindus, especially the worshippers of Maa Durga. Each of the nine goddesses worshipped here personifies facets of a woman (Shakti). Devotees believe that worshipping all nine deities bestows a serene life, wealth, and protection from evil deeds and spirits.

During the time of the Navratri Festival, the temple is surrounded by countless devotees. The unique structure of the temple combined with the beauty of the caves gives a refreshing experience to the worshippers. The Nau Devi Cave Temple is one of the most captivating places because of the spiritual journey you have to undertake to reach there. Caves and paths of tricky shapes guard the entrance of the temple, which is located inside a cave. Devotees have to crawl through constricted spaces to reach the inner shrine.

Baba Dhansar:

The holy place of Baba Dhansar is located at Karua Jheel (pond) near village Karua, 17 km from Reasi towards Katra in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir State, India. The approach involves a walk of 200 metres from the road. It is a belief that when Lord Shiva went to the Amarnath cave to tell Parvati the story of his immortality, he left his serpent king , Sheshnag at Anantnag. Shesh Nag came in the human form as Vasudev. One of the sons of Vasudev was Dhansar who was a saintly person.

As the local belief goes, in the ancient times there was a demon who lived near Karua Jheel (lake) and committed atrocities on the people of village Karua. The villagers sought help of Baba Dhansar to get rid of the Demon. It is believed that Baba Dhansar prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Lord Shiva arrived and helped in killing the Demon. The temple of Baba Dhansar and a cave of Lord Shiva near Karua Jheel has become a place of worship. Karua Jheel is considered sacred where bathing is not permitted. However, the devotees may take a bath downstream. People believe that their wishes are fulfilled if they take bath in the stream and pray with complete faith. A large number of devotees visit the place every year on the day of Mahashivratri when an annual fete (mela) is organized.

Siyad Baba Waterfall:

Siyad Baba Waterfall, also known as Sehar Baba Waterfall, is a major tourist attraction in the Riasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It's considered one of the largest waterfalls in North India, located on the Chenab River. The waterfall descends from over 100 feet, creating a spectacular view. 

Key features and information:

• Location: Situated on the Chenab River, near the Reasi district, and about 30 km from Katra on the Katra-Riasi Road. 
• Height: The waterfall descends from over 100 feet. 
• Popularity: It's a popular tourist spot, especially for those visiting Mata Vaishno Devi and Shiv Khori. 
• Best time to visit: While tourists visit year-round, the months of July to October are considered the best time to experience the waterfall, with some enjoying icy dips in winter. 
• Scenic beauty: The waterfall is surrounded by steep green hills and offers a serene experience with cool breeze. 

Driver was kind enough to take me to his kid’s school where they celebrated annual day function. That was a big hall with just two rooms. There were around 20 kids and the school taught 1^st to 5^th grade. Driver’s wife was a teacher there. They distributed sweets, samosas and juice to kids after their dance performances. That was totally a different experience for me. The area surrounding the school was very pleasant with hardly any houses near by. Did a bit of shopping late evening after my dinner.Purchased sweater to Utthaan and saffron.

 

Day 4: 26^th - Katra- Jammu – Bangalore

 

That was a fantastic journey seeking blessings from the goddess and it was the time to bid adieu to Katra.I had booked a cab from my hotel to Jammu airport. Reached Bangalore the same evening.