Lately, I got an opportunity to visit the famous Vaishno Devi temple for the second time! Unlike my previous visit when I travelled by train, this time, I splurged a little and took a flight from Delhi to Jammu. On arrival at Jammu, I headed straight for the Vaishno Devi counter from where pilgrims can get there group number and prasad slip. For the uninitiated, the group number makes the process of the darshan a lot easier as you can join the queue only when your group number is announced. As luck would have it, the lady at the counter gave me a group number that was already “running” so I could get directly in the queue. Feeling happy about this pseudo VIP slip (I’ll explain the pseudo part later), I headed to Katra and went straight to my hotel, which was one of the many that had sprung up in the recent yeas. Refreshed, I began the climb uphill at 7 pm, a deliberate decision to avoid the scorching heat during the day. En route, the heavens opened up and the rain slowed down my pace. Once you start the journey, it’s all about enjoying the beautiful views of the valley and temple, breathing in fresh air, talking to complete strangers and the ability to incessantly chant “Jai Mata Di”. The entire 13-kilometre path is laced with shops that sell eatables and beverages and even hot, steaming Maggi, which came as quite a relief in the wind and rain! If nature calls or you simply need to rest, you’ll find stoppage points and washrooms, every half a kilometre or so. If walking the path of nirvana is something that you find yourself unable to do, don’t fret. You can be carried up on a palanquin by a pitthoo and that too, in your own separate lane! Once you reach Ardkunvari, the midway point of the climb, you can take one of two paths. You can choose to continue uphill towards the temple or take a detour via Garbhjoom, a tiny cave that symbolizes the journey of a baby in the womb of the mother. Cont...... #vaishno_devi #spiritual #traveldiaries #kashmirtourism #jammu #hinduism #traveler #goddesslocs #divine #temple #shivtemple #onegod #oneworld (at Maa Vaishno Devi, Katra, J&K) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxpK9z9De9w/?igshid=datxaxp4z1l8