The Holy Cave Shrine
Vaishno Devi is one of the most revered holy sights of India, visited by the people of almost all the religions. The holy shrine is visited by millions of Indians from all parts of the country. It is believed that devotees visiting the Mata or Mother for the fulfillment of their wishes, never returns empty handed. There are some visitors to Vaishno Devi for no other reason than their wish to see Mata.
Walking : From Katra it is a steep 13 km walk. You can rent a horse or be carried up from Katra. You can go up to the cave and back in the same day. It takes about 4 hours to climb up and 3 hours to come down. Pilgrims must get a Yatra-Slip from the tourist reception center near the bus stand in Katra to get pass Ban Ganga. It is a hard climb to Vaishno Devi.
Check in the Accommodations at Vaishno Devi
At Jammu
For the convenience of the pilgrims, Shrine Board offers accommodation at Jammu at its Yatri Niwas, Vaishnavi Dham located near the Railway Station. Dormitory accommodation is available. Double bedded A.C. rooms and A.C.suite accommodation is also available.
At Katra
On reaching Katra, the Yatris can get accommodation at Niharika/Vishram Ghar complex of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Following types of accommodation are available. Double Bedded (Non-carpeted) Double Bedded (carpeted) Four Bedded (Non-carpeted) Four Bedded (carpeted). Dormitory 8 bedded and 10 Bedded are also available.
Private Hotels
Several hotels in private sector are also offering excellent facilities for boarding and lodging. Information regarding these hotels can be acquired from Travel agents in Jammu city and JKTDC assistance at TRC counters Jammu, Katra and Railway Station Jammu.
At Bhavan
Rented Rooms/Dormitories and free dormitory accommodation is available at Bhawan and various locations en route. Booking for these rooms is done from the Central Office, Katra.Rooms can also be booked by sending Demand Draft in favour of the Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Katra (J & K ).
The Holy Shrine
The holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi is believed to have been built by the five Pandavas. The length of the cave is about 98 ft. The symbols of a many of gods and goddesses of the Hindu religion can be seen here. At the mouth of the original tunnel to the holy cave can be seen the symbols of Vakra Tunda Ganesha, Surya Dev and Chandra Dev. When one crawls into the cave by the tunnel, he/she passes over the Dhadh of Bhairon Nath. The symbol of Lord Hanuman, called Launkra Beer, can also be seen and the pilgrims have to go through water beyond the Launkra Beer point. Twenty-three feet beyond Launkra Beer, on the upper left-hand side, the roof of the cave flares out and the weight of this overhang appears to be resting on the countless heads of Shesh Nag. Immediately below Shesh Nag can be seen the symbols of Shankh, Chakra, Gada and Padam. Higher up, almost touching the ceiling of the cave, are the symbols of the five Pandavas, the Sapt Rishi, the udders of the divine cow, Kamadhenu, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Parvati.
Some other attractions :
Ban Ganga Temple, Charan Paduka Temple, Ardh Kuwari
Not to Overlook - Excursions
The Deva Mai temple
There are several places to see and visit near Vaishno Devi too. The Deva Mai temple is about three miles short of Katra town. Many devotees treat it as a very holy site and go there to perform paeans.
The Holy Cave of Shiv Khori
The Holy Cave of Shiv Khori is the abode of Lord Shiva, situated at a distance of 70 km from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly a kilometer in length with a four-feet-high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the sanctum sanctorum.
Pindian
A few miles away from Katra is Pindian at the foot of the Trikuta range. This spot is also dedicated to Vaishno Devi.
Patnitop
Patnitop is idyllic spot for recharging your batteries and relaxing with nature, which only gives and never asks for anything in return. Just sitting under the sun in the grassland can be the highlight of your holiday.
Location : Situated at an altitude of 5200 ft above sea level in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The Vaishno Devi shrine is nestled in the Trikuta Mountain. It about 650 km from
Delhi, the capital of India.
Language : Hindi, considerable % of people speak English.
Climate : High altitude temperature - Cold
Best time to visit - Through out the year except during winter. The pilgrims prefers travelling between October and February.
Getting There
The sacred shrine lies 61 km north of Jammu in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir. Vaishno Devi cave is in the lower Himalayas. Katra, the town at the foot of the Trikuta hills is the base camp for the Vaishno Devi shrine. Vaishno Devi is located 14 km from the town of Katra and 52 km north of Jammu. Katra is situated at 2,800 feet and takes about 2 hours to each from Jammu by bus.
By Air : The nearest airport is in Jammu, which is 48 km from Katra. There is a helicopter service that departs from the airport at Sanjhi Chat in Jammu in the morning. The ride costs about Rs. 2,000 one way (baggage 2 kg, 15 minute)
By Rail : The nearest train station is in Jammu.
By Road : There are regular buses leaving for the 52 km trip from the central bus stand in Jammu to where the road ends at Katra (2 hr).
Assi Ghat - The ghat is named after holy river Assi. Located in the southernmost part of Varanasi where river Assi meets Ganga. Bathing at this ghat before aritual worship nearby by peepal tree is very common sight. Also near by the ghat a humble marble temple is set.
Manikarnika Ghat – It is cremation ghat that usually located outside the town but doesn’t hold much water for Manikarnika ghat, which is all set in the middle of town. It has a great significance in the life of people not because Hindu mythology but because of philosophy of life and death.
The name 
Radha Vallabh Temple
One of the sacred section of Vrindavan is Radha Vallabh. The temple built by by this section and visited by Radha Rani devotees. Radha Rani deity is placed next to Lord Krishna’s idol.
Govind Deo Temple
Once a splendid seven storied architectural greatness in shape of Greek cross was ruptured by Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. Built by Man Singh , general of emperor Akbar at a stupendous cost of 1 crore rupees in 1590. Red sandstone that had been used in Red Fort also used to built to this temple. Surely a must see temple for any visitor.
ISKCON Temple
Impressive temple was built by the world recognized trust (International Society For Shri Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON). It is comparatively very new temple where the main attractions are deities of Shri Krishan, his brother Balram, and Shri Radha – Shyam Sundar.
Rangaji Temple
The temple is of mixed architectural style. Built in the year 1851 AD, the temple has flavor of Rajput, South Indian and Italian styled architecture. The main entrance of the temple is of Rajput style, the gopuram (gateway tower) is of typical south Indian way and the arcades were influenced by Italian architecture. One of the prime attraction is the 15 meter high pillar made up of gold.
“God own country” Kerala is known for its magnificent backwaters, the exotic beaches and last but not least its fabulous temples. Sabarimala temple is perhaps most revered of all and become an important pilgrimage in India. It is situated on the mountain ranges of Western Ghats, almost at an altitude of 914 m above the sea level. The sacred shrine is dedicated to lord Ayyappa and approached there only by feet. From Pampa to Sabarimala takes 4 hour to reach the holy shrine. Lord Ayyappa belongs to Kerala and exclusive god of Kerala, what is more, all devotees are also called Ayyapas. With black dhotis around their waist and with unkempt beard growing for 40 days of observing the rituals, they all have a striking similarity. Sabarimala is third richest temple in India.
The journey to Sabrimala starts from Trivandrum with the first stop on the banks of Pampa and devotees have a dip in the river. It is more of a customary and sole purpose is cleansing. The hordes of devotees takes a 3 hour long journey through the dense forests. Committed pilgrims are expected to walk barefoot. Before proceeding to the temple, a symbolic bath in river Pampa is done by devotees. Pampa in the evening presents a magnificent sight with lamps and candles in the cottages, along the banks of the river and on the floating boats.
Temple complex is huge though the main temple is of average size. Devotees has to ascend 18 steps to reach the main temple, these 18 steps symbolizing 18 elements. Lord Ayyappa’s idol is placed in between the gold plated sanctum sanctorum. Lord Ayyappa’s resplendent face is almost covered with garlands and glittering jewels. The ambiance of whole of temple complex is so divine, one could hear the bhajans from the street corner, pleasant aroma of camphor and incense and a huge crowd make this place a real beauty. In the month of November to mid January in Kerala every year temple complex is in full glory when Sabarimala temple festival is celebrated in honor of Lord Ayyappa. During this time devotees perform austerities and penitence.
Cigarettes, beedis, paan, alcohol and carrying plastic is strictly prohibited, starting at Pampa and all the way to Sabarimala.
Only pilgrims who observed 41 days of vegetarianism, celibacy, prayer and wearing of Sabarimala mala can enter the temple.
Take care of your bag and baggages.
If you are walking with shoes, do not open at any point of time while walking through the forest because there are ample possibility of disappearing if you dare to take them off.
A small temple situated in the drowsing town of Shirdi, which is about 100 km from the 
Nasik – Nashik has great mythological importance in India. Dotted with numerous temples and religious spot, the place is an excellent expedition to religious tour. The different temples have their unique architecture, apart from the temples, Nashik is also famous for Shri Kailash Math, Veda School.
Against a snowy 
Don’t forget to but traditional craft and woolen carpet that are famous in Arunachal Pradesh.
Losar and Torgya festivals are famous where lamas from different part of the world comes to Twang and celebrate it. So, if possible visit the place in the month of February-March. Both the festivals are celebrated once in the year.
There are countless lakes in the region. You mustn’t ignore them. Some of amazing lakes are One is Pankang Teng Tso (P.T. Tso ) lake, Banggachang and Sangetser lake.
Particularly attached to the attainment of Enlightenment, The Maha bodhi Temple is one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha. Dating back to 5-6th century BC, it is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still standing in India. Though many changes have occurred, it has still maintained the charm and accent of the time of Huen Tsang.
According to the Jataka tale, when Buddha first came here, the Pipala, or Indian fig (Bodhi) was a massive tree. It is said that Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment under this tree.
After he left, he never looked back, and never visited again. But he did recommend it as one of the four memorable places worth visiting for inspiration. Buddhists believe this as the navel of the universe, the Vajra-seat, where past and future Buddhas achieve the ultimate state.
Ria Johnson, a traveller from Canada, said “ I was truly enticed by the Mahabodi temple. It holded a star value on my buddhist pilgrimage tour.”
The present Temple is one of the earliest and most imposing structures built entirely in brick from the late Gupta period. The sculpted stone balustrades are an outstanding early example of sculptural reliefs in stone. Buddha image housed inside the Mahabodhi temple is particularly important in the context of Bodh Gaya sculptures. Its height of more than 2-m has made it the largest surviving seated Buddha image from Bodh Gaya. Its great size may indicate that it once served as the central image of the Mahabodhi Temple. The hub of the entire spectrum of activities that take place here, the temple is the most important place in Bodh Gaya ( Bodh Gaya).
Being the place where He attained the supreme and perfect insight, the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya has direct association with the life of the Lord Buddha, and thus is cosidered among the most pristine pilgrimages in Buddhism. Lord Buddha himself had put this place in his high esteem and recommended his followers to visit the place for gaining knowledge.
Being registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, better conservation, restoration and upgradation of the images and statues are expected.
“ The story by far was to know more about the site, but after glimpsing its architectural value I was completely baffled for the simple reason that I loved the place.” added Ria.
If you want to explore good heritage, Mahabodi temple is the one for you. You would surely love to explore it.
“ Mahabodi Temple is peculiar and I loved every moment I spent there. I snapped many images of Mahabodi tree, they were truly awesome” ended Ria
A mammoth Chariot pulling by countless people in midst of numerous Hindu devotees, a picture that can be remain frozen in the memory, is all about one of the biggest Hindu festival is being celebrated all over India. The Rath Yatra(Chariot Journey) is being spectacular and a mirthful event in Orissa where it is celebrated in the temple town of 
Beware of touts and fake travel agents. Orissa is famous tourist place and you will find many of them.
Puri Rath Yatra is a holy journey. So, maintain the discipline and pace with the crowd.
Take care of your belongings. In a million sum crowd, ample scope to lost your valuable asset such as camera and other stuffs.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited in the place.
Taste the royal Mahaprasad with much devotion.
Puri restaurants is famous for delicious cuisines.
Puri is not only for temples but also for golden beaches. Pack your swimsuits with you.
Undoubtedly one of the finest masterpiece of Indian architecture, is Meenakshi temple in 
Jama Masjid literally means ‘Friday Mosque’. A largest mosque in India and a final architecture extravaganza of Shah Jahan, signifies its name by holding Juna prayer service on Friday afternoons. The Jama Masjid is located in the central of old Delhi, built in yellow sandstone and involved around 5000 workers, Jama Masjid took 20 years to complete.
The Jama Masjid has three great gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40 meters high, which are constructed of vertical strips of red sandstone and white marbles. There are steep steps that lead to the imposing gateway. The opulent Masjid is placed on a high platform and its beautiful facade clearly visible from all around. The podium carved out exquisitely out of a single block of marble, surely the best lineament of the structure. In the north east of Masjid a small pavilion preserve the relics of prophet, attract pilgrims from all over India and abroad. The courtyard of mosque can hold 25,000 people. From the top of the minaret one will have a direct view of Connaught Place ,Sansad Bhavan and whole of old Delhi. The domes, courtyard and minarets of the Jama Masjid lend it a distinct sense of grandeur.
You can also stroll to chor bazaar for some cheap electronic goods and of you are a book freak Nai Sarak is must see for you.
Jagananth Puri is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage site on the sea coast of Ganga Sagar in Orissa. 