Jai Maa Vaishnav Devi

Fremont



Yesterday Vickie was asking me about my Vaishno Devi trip.Last month I had a nice trip with my friends Kusum Rao &Ranjana to Vaishno Devi & Haridwar.We started from Jamshedpur on 13th of May for New Delhi by Purshottam and our picnic started from there (my friend Kusum gave this name for the trip).They were with their families, Panditji with Daisy Roshan and Rohit also joined us.We really enjoyed the trip .All of us had one extra luggage full of food and games. As usual train was half an our late but we had lot of things to talk about, we all were very happy and enthusiastic too.Oh, I forgot to tell you that one more family whom I met first time joined us for the trip.And introduction to that family took 15minutes and half an hour passed now we boarded our train.After settling to our seats first thing that was in demand was tea and we asked for tea to the waiter of the railway catering service.We had two types of tea,sugarless and with sugar because maximum people were above 40.After tea we had our breakfast and the real fun started from there.As I told you we had lots of games with us so public demanded games and we started with bingo(housie).All of us participated in the game.After two rounds of play people of our compartment started coming near us and after third round people started asking us "can we join"and some of them joined us too.Like this how the time passed we could`t imagine. Now we had South Indian lunch which my friend Kusum had brought on our demand.After lunch another session of housie started till tea. Now our LUDO session started in the evening.The dinner was pure Bihari Food.How the whole day went I couldn't imagine because when I travel alone I am busy with my SUDOKU AND BOOKS but I get bored.5:am in the morning on 14th we were in Delhi.We went to a nearby hotel which my friends had booked, we were there for whole day. In the evening we had train for Jammu,it was very nice train and had a nice journey till Jammu.At 7a:m on15 we were at Jammu station from there we took taxi for Katra .I had booked rooms for my self and for Kusum in a hotel so we took a car and Panditji with Daisy and children accompanied us,rest of my friends were P N B staff so they went in a car to their guest house.After taking bath etc.we had a plan to take rest because we were planning to take yatra in the evening.So in the evening when we woke up we were fresh and ready for our journey.


At 6p:m we assembled near the yatra counter from where the journey starts. There the first thing you have to do is take a parchi(slip) otherwise you cannot proceed for yatra. It is free but it is to check that how many people are on way.The shrine keeps watch that plgrims should not exceed the number.At 7p:m after security check we started our yatra by saying "Jai Mata Di ", the total yatra(journey)is of 12k.m and 2k.m Bhaironath all of us had a stick in our hands.Now by 9p:m we were at Ardh Kumari it is the half way to Vaishno Mata temple.


Last time when I had gone to Vaishno Devi we couldn't go through the cave so this time I had decided to go through the cave but seeing the cue I was thinking what to do.People told us that our turn will come in the morning, so we should first do the Darshan of Vaishno Mata and while returning we should go through the cave and do the Darshan of Ardh Kumari.Any how by the help of a kind military personale we could manage to enter the cave and we came out of the cave at 11:30p:m it was a fantastic feeling its amazing. Now we took some rest there ,everyone was hungry by the time and they had some food except me, because I had fast of ekadashi.When we started our Yatra again it was 12 at night,now all of us were tired I saw everybody was limping and I started saying jor say bolo "Jai Mata Di"now saying this all of us were recharged and our speed increased.Any how we reached the top off course limping at 2:30a:m.


When you reach the top it is said that you should first take a bath and then go for Darshan.There are many separate bathrooms for ladies and gents.We went there and after taking bath as I came out of the bathroom it started raining with thunder and lightning, near the bathroom there was only one shed and people gathered there but I couldn't get into the shed it was full, literally was standing outside in the rain for 15minutes after that any how I could manage to get into the shed children started screaming because there was no power,mothers were searching their children and it was a mess, any how the rain stopped after an hour and the power also returned back, now people were searching each other, it was very cold and people were shivering , I had my shawl in my bag so after the rain was over and we came out of the shed I took out my shawl and wrapped my self with it, here we were lucky enough because within 5minutes we all were together I thought Goddess is kind enough so everything is going on as we thought and planned except this rain. Now we went for cue here our turn for Darshan came after 15minutes and we had a nice Darshan .When we came out after darshan it was already 4:30a:m.


Now the third step was to go to the temple of Shiv which was atleast 25-30 stairs down and we were thinking should we go to that temple or not but everybody agreed and all of us went there.It was also a nice temple. After coming from that temple we had tea, now my ekadashi was over so I wanted to have something to eat but only biscuit was available there so we took that and continued our yatra for Bhaironath temple.Here we were knowing it that it was only 2k.m from Vaishno Devi temple so in spite of our tiredness we thought to take that yatra too.


It is said that without Bhaironath's Darshan Yatra is incomplete.Everyone was limping and after every 5minutes we were taking a little rest except two of the Roshan,Rohit and great Prasadji.He is the man who encouraged me to join the Yatra.First I was hesitating because just after three days of the trip I had my flight for USA which was booked earlier.Now I thank him for this wonderful trip.Now no one was in a position to move a little but even then Bhaironath wanted us to be there so we conquered the Bhaironath top saying" Jai Bhaironath Ki".After we reached the top we were now drained out, seeing the crowd we sat on a bench and started thinking now we can't have Darshan,any how we again went for cue.Any how we could manage to have Darshan.


Here interupting me Vickie asked "how the IDOL of goddess was found, and when, do you know that?"I replied him there is no idol only three" Pindies" of goddess " Kali Lakshmi and Saraswati" are there , he immediately replied me, for seeing only those Pindis people take so much of trouble and go there I laughed and said this is called ASTHA(faith)in our Hindu religion.