Places To Visit in Katra

It would not be an exaggeration if we say that Katra is the Navaratra Capital of India. It is a tradition that is continuing at Katra for the last 100 years. It is the Sharad Navaratra celebrated during the month of September- October that draws the maximum number of pilgrims to this place. The government of J&k has declared the festival as official and uses this occasion to showcase the rich heritage of Dogra art and culture to those outside the state. Tourists or devotees mingle with the local populace to celebrate the occasion with gaiety and fervor.

Katra wears a festive look during the full nine days of Navaratra. Shops and houses are decorated with lights and flowers, arches get erected at different places of the town and the whole town reverberates with the chant of “Jai Mata Di”. Thousands of devotees pour in from across the country to witness the nine-day long Navratra festival along with undertaking a yatra to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. Local residents can be seen singing and dancing at every crossing.

If you are at Katra during Navaratras there is a chance to experience the nuances of Dogri culture in full bloom. You can listen to folk or devotional music, participate in dance, watch flower shows and enjoy poney/pithu race. Recently wrestling competitions are also held to give variety to the festivities. The festival kick starts with a traditional procession consisting of school students and cultural troupes. Words cannot do justice to the festive mood out there you just have to be there to understand the spirit.

This year the festival kicked off on Friday last, with long procession of school children and contingents of cultural troupes drawn from all parts of the State forming an impressive yatra. The Navratra festivities would continue till Vijaydashmi or Dusshera in Katra.

Every evening during the Navaratra days till Vijaya Dashami you could hear the blowing of ‘Narsingha’ a local musical instrument from every nook and corner of Katra town. This starts the Kud dance of Bhaderwah a kind of Dogri folk dance. As artists clad in their traditional attire take rhythmic steps to melodious music, it becomes very difficult to resist the temptation of taking a step or too. Both devotees from outside as well as locals enjoy the proceedings equally.

A lot of exhibitions are also hosted during this time to acquaint outsiders with local customs and products. You can be part of book exhibitions, display of ancient Dogri art objects, handloom and handicraft products, and photo exhibitions on pilgrim centers in Jammu and Kashmir along with host of other things.

A major attraction of the festival is the special Navratra and Dogri cuisines. You can get authentic Navratra cuisines prepared in Shudh Desi Ghee at various restaurants and special stalls put up across the whole town. Don’t miss out the special Rajma Chaval the aroma of which is sure to make you asking for more.

This is the most important part. If you want to be part of the Navaratra festivities and having darshan of Ma Vaishno Devi without any hiccups you need to book in advance your hotel. As thousands and thousands of devotees would converge on Katra during Navratras there is no chance to get proper accommodation at that time. As you cannot miss this lifetime experience you need to act fast and book in advance.

The pilgrims while on a Tour to Katra-Vaishno Devi must remember important points by which they can easily locate the distances, charges and many more issues that remain unanswered. The Yatra Trek to Vaishno Devi Bhawan is described based on the research and analysis task. The pilgrims who remain clueless about the whole tour could easily get an idea that what steps should they take while on a Vaishno Devi Tour. Given below are the main informative points of Vaishno Devi Bhawan Yatra trek:

Katra Stand to Baanganga: 

The travelers while on a religious tour to Katra can easily hire an auto, taxi or heavy vehicle. Auto Rickshaws are amongst the most feasible options. The travelers can notice good numbers of auto rickshaws at Auto stand in Katra. From here the pilgrims can either take shared autos or if they want to hire an auto individually then they have to pay 100 rupees. The pilgrims who are smart enough in doing negotiations can bargain with the hiring charges of Auto Rickshaws. The distance from Katra Chowk to Baanganga is 1.5 km. It takes 10 minutes to reach Banganga by Auto Rickshaw. From Baanganga, the travelers have to walk till the Shrine gate.

From Katra shrine gate the uphill Trek to Bhawan starts. The pilgrims have to pass through the stringent security check-ups. It is important to note that pilgrims are not permitted to carry still cameras or video camera while en route to the main shrine. Walking few meters ahead, the pilgrims will come across to the Darshani gate (Announcement booth). Here the pilgrims would find the horse stable which provides pony rides till Ardhkuwari and Bhawan at the price range of Rs 500 to Rs 800. As the matter of fact, travelers can also bargain with the price tags of a pony. Pichu(Government recognized) is also available for the children. These Pithus(Carry children on their shoulders) are available at the price range of Rs 350 to Rs 600 respectively. For the pilgrims who are physically challenged or older in age. The Paalki(wooden log carrier) can be booked at the price range of RS 3,500 to Rs 5,000 per person pick and drop. The disciples are advised to book them in advance through travel agents or by directly contacting the Palki carriers. The pony riders (horse carriers, khachar) take 4 to 5 hours approximately to reach the shrine. The total distance from the Darshani gate to the Bhawan is 14.5 km.

The distance from Ardh Kuwaari to Bhawan is 5 km and from the Darshani gate the distance is 11 km. The travelers if fortunate enough to reach can make a booking of their battery cars charging Rs 100 per head for one way journey. The tickets can be booked from the police check post counter at Ardh Kuwaari. The booking counter at Ardh Kuwaari remains open from 8:00 Am to 6:00 Pm in the evening. The battery cars take 15 minutes to cover the distance from Ardh Kuwaari to Bhawan(shrine).

The pilgrims covering the distance by taking a walking spree will reach Katra in 6 hours. From Bhawan the travelers can take their slope down trip journey easier by taking pony ride or palki ride whichever is convenient. The main booking counter of battery-operated cars is situated at the walkable distance of 400 meters from the last police checks post and Bhawan. The people get in ques from 6:00 AM at the battery car booking counter. The battery car from Bhawan to Ardh Kuwaari carries 8 to 10 people.

Besides Vaishno Devi Shrine, there are many Famous Temples in and around the precincts of the region, holding great significance. The other Famous Temples in Katra that can be visited by the pilgrims are as follows:

Bhumika Temple: 

The Bumika Mata is temple is located 1 km from Katra. Legend has that this was the place where the goddess appeared in front of her disciple(Shridhar) and asked her to arrange free meal for the villagers. His disciple served food to villagers but when the turn of Bhairav Nath came, divine goddess in her disguise form (girl) scolded him for making unnecessary demands from the poor priest Shridhar. When Bhairav Nath stepped up further in arguments, she suddenly disappeared from that place. From that day this temple is defined as the second milestone at which the pilgrims can behold the view of incarnated idol of Vaishno goddess.

Charan Paduka Temple: The Charan Paduka Temple is a holy sanctum where goddess Vaishno imbibed the impressions of her feet on rock while escaping from Bhairav Nath. Those footprints have been preserved in the temple. This is the place from where goddess traveled to a cave when Bhairav Nath was chasing her. This sanctum is 1.5 km from Banganga approximately 3,380 feet.

Bhairav Nath Temple: 

The Bhairav Nath has located 3 km on the uphill climb distance of the Trikuta Hill. It is said that the Yatra of pilgrims remain incomplete if he don’t visit the Bhairav Nath temple. This is the only place where the evil ‘Tantrik’ Bhairav Nath was killed by the goddess Vaishnavi. Later when Bhairav Nath was in the state of dying, he urged the goddess to forgive him for the sins committed. On his repeated requests, she was finally convinced. Mata Vaishno appreciated his modesty and rewarded by honoring him as the true follower. The goddess blessed him that pilgrims who want to relinquish themselves from all the miseries have to visit her as well Bhairav’s shrine. The Yatra of pilgrims will only be called completed when he/she(pilgrim) will also visit the Bhairav Nath’s Shrine.

Garbh Joon Cave is a 15-foot long cave where goddess Vaishno hid her self for nine months and performed penance. The cave is narrow and pilgrims traverse from it by crawling slowly. During the rush hour or peak seasons, the shrine board authorities close this cave and pilgrims have to enter from another cave developed and maintained by the Vaishno Devi Shrine board. Outside the cave is the Charna Amrit outlet from where the pilgrims collect holy water.

Banganga Temple: 

Located 3 kms from Katra, Banganga is the place where Veer Langur(Hanumaan) felt thirsty and in order to quench his thirst, the goddess shot an arrow into a stone and the holy river was produced. It is the same river where goddess Vaishno washed her hair. Today Banganga is hallowed by the presence of same gushing river and temple telling everyone about the glorious past of the region. The pilgrims at Banganga take a holy dip and head towards the main Vaishno goddess shrine.