Jai Mata Di Come home to the land of the Goddess

Katra is an incredibly scenic and a religious place situated at the foothills of Trikuta Hills in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Katra is the base camp for every pilgrim visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi Mandir. More than 8.2 million pilgrims visit Vaishno Devi Mandir every year from all over the world.

Things to do

Katra/Vaishno Devi is one of the busiest pilgrim sites in the northern part of the country. Devotees reach Katra and enrol there at the office for a trek uphill to Vaishno Devi and Bhaironath. The trek is insured worth a lakh which covers accidents while on the trek. Katra being an environmental friendly zone, trekking is done via walks, palanquin, individual carriers carrying children, horses or helicopter. There are masseurs at regular intervals during the trek, helping the tired trekkers with a few moment of relief. The entire trek offers a picturesque view of the valley. The trek may vary from person to person depending on their speed of Trek. Pilgrims often break at ArdhKuwari Mata, which is the first holy cave and then carry on with the rest of the trek. The best darshan is general during the night or early hours of the morning. There is a saying that the Vaishno Devi darshan is incomplete without paying a visit to Bhairo Baba. Devotees often walk the rest of the trek which is, even more, steeper, or one could also go horseback to complete the religious journey. A Katra Tour package also consists of a visit to the Dera Baba Banda, which is a little away from the central place in Katra but the environment is incredibly serene and tranquil. A visit to Vaishno Devi is a lifetime of an experience and is highly recommended even to the non-religious soul.

Staying at Katra

There is a range of stays to choose from in a Katra Holiday Package. There are Dharamshala offered by religious groups for the poor and needy, and there are also comfortable lodges and hotels for the budget-friendly traveller. There is Country Inn by Carlson, White House and the Atrium by the Greens to choose from for the traveller who wants to stay in comfort.

Food in Katra

Madhuban, Punjabi Haveli, ManoranjanDhaba and SagarRatna are a few of the excellent restaurants in Katra. Being a religious site, only vegetarian meals are served here at it’s best level of purity.

Best time to visit

The Katra Holiday Package can be availed round the year. People who are not comfortable with extreme cold weather can avoid the winter months from November to January. A few festivals like Navratri and Diwali can also be prevented due to the rush of pilgrims. Thus, April to June could be the best time to visit.

How to reach

Katra is very well connected by Air, Rail and road. The closest Airport is Jammu Airport also known as Satwari Airport and is 48km from Katra. Katra has a good Railway station to boast of, to greet millions of pilgrims each year. Katra can also be approached by road from the nearby towns and cities through the hill terrains.

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