Being from a Punjabi family, we all love to offer prayers or follow Mata Vaishno Devi like daily, and also hear or see a post on facebook or Instagram, that some of our close or distant relative is at Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra J&K.
In this post, I have tried to share my experience of planning and completing the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra from Delhi, and I hope that it can help you to plan yours. So have a look at this Vaishno Devi Travel Blog.
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I just make prior reservation for our train tickets, battery car ride from Ardhkuwari to Bhawan, and vice versa and night stay, like anywhere near Darbar as that was the most difficult part.
My train ride till Katra came with seat numbers like 6 & 5 for me and my wife, and 32 and 55 for mother in law & nephew, and it was very difficult to exchange seats as the train was jam packed, and many passengers from sleeper coaches were chasing the TT for seats in any AC coach.
But thankfully we were able to get dormitory beds at Manokamna Bhawan, which is like 1 km from main temple. A better option is to book either dormitory or private room, again by visiting www.maavaishnodevi.org and book rooms well in advance. Will definitely share one more Vaishno Devi Travel Blog where it will be how to get a confirm rooms from shrine board website.
Now instead of leaving from Banganga to Ardhkuwari, we opted to go from the new Tarakote route, which is 2 km longer but many suggested us to take this route as there is no horse, palki here, and its not too tough for senior citizens too.
Back in 1997, these was a parchi registration system, which was not that important to have, but now things have changed. You need to get a RFID card (Radio Frequency Identification Card) to start the Yatra and that too on the same date of the Yatra.
Now if you are taking the old route from Banganga then you can get the card from Katra Bus Stand, like 10 minute line and if you are opting for start the Yatra from new Tarakote route, its like you are the only person in the que, as I think, only 100-500 people go from this route per day.
The route till Ardhkuwari from here is 7 km, 2 km long that the old route, but for me its better as we really had an amazing time with kids, no toys shop :), and there were food courts like every 750 meter -1 km, along with 24 hour Shrine Board Langar hall with an amazing garden (we stopped here on the return trip).
My favorite food courts were Verka where I had the mango drink and the last shop, Nescafe where we had some sandwich & coffee. And you will also get Bikanerwala, CCD, Sagar Ratna too.
As we started our Yatra by 12:15, we reached Ardhkuwari by 5:45 pm & 15 minute after the battery car booking time, but thanks to the staff as they said that you can go at the next car which will leave at 7 pm.
You can get the ticket of battery car by standing in line but if you book it online you will get priority over other people standing, as your ticket will be issued first. Piece of advice, do get a printout of the ticket.
And finally we sat in the 7:30 pm slot car and reached the Darbar by 8 pm, as battery car takes like 20-30 minute. Had dinner at Manokamna Bhawan which is just next to Battery Car stand. Good food & tea over here and that too at very nominal price.
The Pandit ji sitting near the Pindis gave us good time to see the main gufa, and we were also lucky to enter the 2nd gufa (there are total 3) which was not open for public. After the darshan we also look the water from Charan Ganga, just outside the exit gate, and also stand there for 15 mins before coming back to the guest house by 4 or 4:30 am.
The ropeway starts at 7 am, & we even thought of skipping it as my return battery car ride was at 3:30 pm. But in our heart we wanted to visit the Bhairo Baba Temple, as it was first time for both my boys, I have visited the Bhairo Baba Temple 3 times before in 1997, 95 and 94.
Plus we also had the chance to have the langar at the Shrine board Langar Hall which is 4 km from Ardhkuwari. Here its suggested to clean the utensils you have used, and if you can do drop some donation after the meal.
My suggestion is that the Tarakote Marg is good if you are travelling with kids and old guys, as it has a spacious road , very peaceful environment where Mata bhajans are continuously running and even that with original Bose speakers (all thanks to Shrine board). 152ee80cbc
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