The pilgrimage to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is the most sacred pilgrimage of our times. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi fulfils the wishes of all. Maa resides on the Trikuta mountain in Katra, Jammu. Lakhs of devotees visit there every year for darshan.
History of Mata Vaishno Devi
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi : According to ancient stories, in Treta Yuga many evil forces started threatening Mother Earth. Mother Earth prayed to Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Lord Shiva but even the Trimurti was unable to save her from this crisis. Seeing this, the wives of the Trimurti, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Kali called their power together. A light appeared from the place where the three met and a very beautiful girl was born. She asked them why they had called her. The Goddess told that she has to live on the earth and preach the religion.
The Goddess said that now you will be born in the house of Ratnakar and his wife who live in the southern part of India and they are also our great devotees. Sage Narad who came there named this girl as Mata Vaishno Devi. He told that this is not an ordinary girl. This is a power born from Mahashakti Mahakali Mahalakshmi and Maa Saraswati who has come to this earth to spread religion. She destroyed all the evil forces and went for penance.
During her penance, Lord Rama passed by where she was doing penance and she requested Lord Rama to merge herself into him. Shri Ram said to her that we cannot accept you in this birth Devi because we are bound to Sita in this birth but on her insistence Shri Ram said that I will return with Sita and will definitely come to you in time, if you recognize me then I will accept you. Mata Vaishno Devi accepted this thing smilingly.
When Shri Ram was returning from Lanka, he went to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and Mata Vaishno Devi could not recognize him. After this, Shri Ram said to Mata Vaishno Devi that we cannot accept you in this birth. You go and sit on Trikuta Mountain and preach the religion. I will come in the Kalyug in the form of Kalki Avatar and will meet you. Till then you wait for me. And even today Mata Vaishno Devi is waiting for Shri Ram on Trikuta Mountain and preaching the religion.
Today devotees go there and visit the three idols of Mata Rani where Mata Rani is seated in the form of Mahalakshmi Mahasaraswati and Mahakali. Mata fulfils everyone’s wishes.
Temple construction
About 1000 years ago, Shridhar Pandit ji was a great devotee of Mata Rani. He had built a grand temple of Mata Rani. A girl had told him to organize a feast in his village where Bhairavnath was also invited. The financial condition of Shridhar Pandit ji was not good due to which he was worried the whole night about how this feast would be organized but he left everything to fate. Next day whole village came to the feast and Bhairavnath also came along. By the grace of Mata Rani, the food became Prasad. Bhairavnath expressed his desire for meat and liquor for himself. Mata Vaishno Devi said that this is a Vaishnav Bhandara, meat and liquor are not consumed here. Bhairavnath got angry on hearing this and he tried to catch the girl. The girl went away from there. Shridhar Pandit ji was very saddened by this. He expressed his desire to have darshan of the mother. The mother appeared in Shridhar Pandit’s dream and showed him the way to a cave in the form of her Pindi and Shridhar Pandit built a temple there.
Bhairavnath Darshan is important
When Bhairavnath failed to catch Mata Vaishno devi, he fought with her. Mata Vaishno devi killed Bhairavnath, at the last time he called Mata Vaishno devi “Maa”. To this Mata Vaishno Devi said that the devotees who come to see me should also see you otherwise their visit will remain incomplete.
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