Legend

Daksha, unhappy with his daughter Sati's marriage to Lord Shiva, refused to invite Shiva to the yagna he was performing. Relenting to Sati who wanted to visit her father, Shiva allowed his wife to go the yagna. There, Daksha insulted Shiva. Unable to bear her father's disrespect towards her husband, Sati immolated herself. Shiva, in his wrathful form of Veerabhadra, destroyed the yagna and killed Daksha.The ire and grief of Shiva, manifested as the celestial dance of destruction, the Tandav. Lord Vishu, with the aim of stopping the Tandav, used his Sudarshana Chakra, which cut through the Sati's corpse. The parts of her body fell at varied spots all through the  subcontinent and these sites came to be called Shakti Peethas. The nine such shrines around Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Chandigarh have been clustered to form the nine durga temples or the Nav Devi temples.

Deity - Temples

Deity :- Goddess Shakti

Temples Covered:-

Mansa Devi Temple
Naina Devi Temple
Chintapurni Devi Temple
Sheethla Devi Temple
Jwalaji Devi Temple
Baglamukhi Devi Temple
Mata Brajeshwari Devi Temple
Chamunda Devi Temple
Vaishno Devi Temple

Purpose

It is believed that paying homage to the Goddess makes the devotee free from all the sins and wrongdoings. It is believed that the Goddess with grace her devotees with prosperity

Who can go?

Any one with faith can do the Yatra. However, owing to the 13km climb to reach the Vaishno Devi  temple, those with medical conditions are advised to seek clearance from doctors before the trip.

Yatra Preparations

The accessibility to good quality pooja articles in today's adulterated world as well as availability of all the items required is a major concern for many devotees. Please check out our P-STORE page for various high quality Pooja Samagri for your Pilgrimage or mail us :- info@pilgrimaide.com or call us directly on Mobile :- +919619899406 or Land Phone :- +91 22 28470990.

Area Covered

Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Chandigarh
Languages Spoken : Hindi, Urdu

Auspicious Days

Tuesdays and Fridays are considered auspicious in most Devi temples.
Navratri is an important festival in these temples.

Best time to Travel

The shrines are opened through out the year. It is better to avoid the extreme winters.

Duration

8-9 days from Delhi

Travel Method

Most of the temples can be reached by road and ropeway trolleys.
There is a 13 km trek from Vaishno Devi temple which can be done on foot, horses, palanquins or helicopter.

Crowd Expected

Most of these temples witness a steady flow of devotees during the peak season. On holidays and festival days a large number of devotees visit these shrines

Festivals

Tuesdays and Fridays are considered auspicious in most Devi temples.
Navratri is an important festival in these temples.

Must Haves

The devotees are advised to wear light cotton clothing if travelling in summers.
During winter, heavy woollen wear will be required.
Comfortable canvas shoes or footwear are essential.
It is important to carry essential medicines, torches, walking stick etc. while doing the trek to Vaishno Devi. 
Water bottles, light snacks, first aid kit should be carried in the day pack.

Health Awarness

Those with serious medical problems, cardiac diseases, high blood pressure or asthma are advised against using stairs going to the shrines. They can avail ponies, palanquins or ropeway trolleys as available.

Climate

Climate depends on the area visiting. The summers in the country can be scorching with temperatures in the high thirties. In the northern plains and in the higher altitudes, the winters can be very cold with single digit temperatures. It is best to visit the temples after the monsoons between the months of August and November.