Hello friends. Today I shall narrate you my experience of visiting Vaishno Devi Mandir, Katra. It was my Kashmir trip in the beginning of the year 2013 wherein myself and my spouse visited Katra from Srinagar via road route. We lodged ourselves in a hotel at Katra and at about 11:00 PM in the evening we started for Vaishno Devi Mandir. Subsequently our long walk towards Mata’s Mandir was initiated. We avoided horses or any other types of conveyances available since, we felt that, our true spirit of bhakti was inherent in our will to visit Mata’s premises in the simplest manner possible i.e. by walking. Friends, our will to bear with all inconveniences& pains in our path to the supreme power envisages our true devotion towards Mata. We kept on walking and chanting "Jai Mata Di". It was a long walk throughout the night and at about 3:30 AM next morning we reached Mata’s Mandir. We bought all items needed for Puja from a shop in vicinity to the Mandir and stood in a queue in front of the Mandir entrance. We offered our worship to the Goddess and sought Mata’s blessings. We were extremely fatigued but entirely joyful about the fact that, we could offer our tributes to the Mata in the most humble manner possible and proceeded in our way back to our hotel at Katra.
So friends, I shall suggest you all to visit this pious place at least once. It’s really a lifetime experience for all devotees concerned.