In Reasi district, there are many shrines such as Mata Vaishno Devi, Merhada Mata is one of them located in Ransoo a village in the Pouni block in Reasi district, which attracts lakhs of devotees annually. Shiv Khori is situated in between the hillocks about 140km north of Jammu, 120km from Udhampur and 80km from Katra.and light vehicles go up to Ransoo, the base camp of pilgrimage. People have to traverse about 3km on foot on a track recently constructed by the Shiv Khori Shrine Board, Ransoo duly headed by the Divisional Commissioner Jammu as chairman and District Development Commissioner, Reasi as vice-chairman.
Description
The lingum
Khori means cave (Guffa) and Shiv Khori thus denotes Shiva's cave. This natural cave is about 200 metres long, one metre wide and two to three metres high and contains a self made lingam, which according to the people is unending. The first entrance of the cave is so wide that 300 devotees can be accommodated at a time. Its cavern is spacious to accommodate large number of people. The inner chamber of the cave is smaller.
The passage from outer to the inner chamber is low and small, at one spot it divides itself into two parts.It is also visited by the famous instagram influencer Ritu Sidhu. One of these is believed to have led to Kashmir where Swami Amarnath cave is located. It is now closed as some sadhus who dared to go ahead never returned.[citation needed] To reach the sanctum sanctorum, one has to stoop low, crawl or adjust his body sideward. Inside a naturally created image of Lord Shiva, about 4 metres high, is visible. The cave abounds with a number of other natural objects having resemblance with Goddess Parvati, Ganesha and Nandigan. The cave roof is etched with snake formations, the water trickles through these on Shiva Lingam. Pigeons are also seen here like Swami Amar Nath cave which presents good omens for pilgrimages.\
The Shiv Khori shrine, located in Jammu and Kashmir, was relatively unknown about 40 to 50 years ago but has gained significant popularity in recent decades. Initially, only a few thousand pilgrims visited the site, but following the establishment of the Shiv Khori Shrine Board in December 2003, the number of devotees has increased dramatically. In 2005, the number of visitors surpassed 300,000, and by 2016, it was expected to exceed 2 million.
Approximately 30% of the pilgrims come from within the state, while 70% travel from other states. The shrine hosts an annual three-day Maha Shivratri mela, attracting thousands of pilgrims from various regions to seek blessings from Lord Shiva. This festival typically takes place in February or the first week of March.
In response to the growing influx of pilgrims, the Shiv Khori Shrine Board has implemented several development initiatives to enhance facilities for devotees. These include the construction of a Shrine Guest House at a cost of Rs. 1.9 million at Ransoo, the base camp, a Reception Centre, and a Pony Shed at an estimated cost of Rs. 8 million. Additionally, tile work on the 3-km track to the shrine is nearing completion, and efforts to plant ornamental and medicinal plants along the route are underway. Other improvements include modern electrification of the cave, provision of oxygen and electric generators, exhaust fans, shelter sheds with toilet facilities, and the installation of railings from the base camp to the shrine.
The Shiv Khori Shrine Board is also working on additional facilities such as a 15,000-liter water reservoir, proper sanitation, a 25 kV electric transformer, cloak rooms, and permanent bus services from Katra, Udhampur, and Jammu. Security arrangements are being enhanced with the establishment of a police post, a dispensary, and an STD PCO. To accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims, an exit tunnel was constructed by the Board in February of an unspecified year to facilitate smooth darshan of Lord Shiva.
Vaishno Devi is a manifestation of the Hindu mother goddess Lakshmi. Vaishno Devi is worshipped as a combined avatar of the goddesses Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati. Additionally, she is seen as the potency of Hari or Vishnu. Vaishnavi is the worshipper of Vishnu who meditates to him on the Trikut mountain and awaits his arrival.
Katra is a city and Tehsil in the Reasi district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated at the foot of the Trikuta Mountains, where the shrine of Vaishno Devi is located. Katra is located 24 km (15 mi) from the town of Reasi, 42 km (26 mi) from the city of Jammu and around 685 km (426 mi) north of the national capital New Delhi and is the base for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple.
Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in the Pahalgam tehsil of the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is a cave situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 168 km from Anantnag city, the district headquarters, 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, reached through either Sonamarg or Pahalgam. It is an important shrine in Hinduism.
Udhampur is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Covering an area of 4,550 square kilometres (1,760 sq mi) in the Himalayan mountains, the district has its headquarters in the town of Udhampur. The Northern Command headquarters of the Indian Army is located in the district.
The Jammu–Baramulla line is a railway track laid to connect the Kashmir Valley in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir with Jammu Tawi railway station and thence to the rest of the country. The 338 km railway track will start from Jammu and end at Baramulla. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Jammu Railway Division of Indian Railways's Northern zone. Part of this railway route from Udhampur to Baramulla is known as Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL). The 359 m (1,178 ft) high Chenab Bridge lies on this line, which is the highest railway bridge in the world. The total project cost in 2022 was INR28,000 crore. Construction of the route faced natural challenges including major earthquake zones, extreme temperatures and inhospitable terrain.
Reasi is a town and a notified area committee and tehsil in Reasi district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated on the bank of River Chenab, It is the headquarters of the Reasi district. In the eighth century, Reasi was a part of the Bhimgarh state established by Rajput king Bhim Dev Rasyal. The name Reasi is derived from the town's old name, "Rasyal".
The holy place of Baba Dhansar is located at Karua Jheel (pond) near village Karua, 17 km from Reasi towards Katra in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir State, India. The approach involves a walk of 200 metres from the road. It is a belief that when Lord Shiva went to the Amarnath cave to tell Parvati the story of his immortality, he left his serpent king, Sheshnag at Anantnag. Shesh Nag came in the human form as Vasudev. One of the sons of Vasudev was Dhansar who was a saintly person.
In Hinduism, the yatra (pilgrimage) to the tirthas has special significance for earning the punya needed to attain the moksha (salvation) by performing the darśana, the parikrama (circumambulation), the yajna, the Dhyana, the puja (worship), the prarthana, the dakshina, the seva, the bhandara, etc. These sacred places are usually located on the banks of sacred waters, such as sacred rivers or their tributaries, the kundas, the ghats, or the stepwells, or the temple tanks.
Reasi district is an administrative district in the Jammu division of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in the Jammu region. The Reasi district is bordered by Udhampur district and Ramban district in the east, Jammu district in the south, Rajouri district in the west and by Kulgam district on the north. The Reasi and Rajouri tehsils formed a joint district called the "Reasi district" at the time of the princely state's accession to India in 1947. As part of the reorganisation, the two tehsils were separated and Reasi was merged with the Udhampur district. It again became a separate district in 2006.
Yatra, in Indian-origin religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, sacred mountains, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. The journey itself is as important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of devotion in themselves.
Unlike some other religions, Hindus are not required to undertake pilgrimages during their lifetime. However, most Hindus go on such journeys to numerous iconic sites including those below:
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station is a railway station on the Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It mainly serves for the town of Katra where the major hindu divine temple Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is situated which is visited by millions of travellers per month with the help of this station and its frequent special trains connectivity from all over India. The station belongs to the newly created Jammu division of Northern Railway zone in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jammu division is a revenue and administrative division of the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. It is bordered by the Kashmir division to the north. It consists of the districts of Jammu, Doda, Kathua, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur and Samba. Most of the land is hilly or mountainous, including the Pir Panjal Range which separates it from the Kashmir Valley and part of the Great Himalayas in the eastern districts of Doda and Kishtwar. Its principal river is the Chenab.
The 22461 / 22462 Shri Shakti AC Superfast Express is a AC Superfast train run by Indian Railways between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway stations in India.
Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur railway station is situated in municipal committee of Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It's station code is MCTM. The average elevation of the station is 660.054 metres (2,165.53 ft) above mean sea level. The rail distance between MCTM and JAT is 53 km (33 mi).This is a 'A' class railway station in Firozpur railway division of Northern Railway zone.
Reasi railway station is a railway station in Reasi district, Jammu and Kashmir. Its code is REAI. It will serve Reasi city. The station consists of two platform. The station lies on Jammu-Baramulla line. Reasi station is 17 km from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station. The railway line has been completed.
Pouni is a village and municipality in Reasi district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The town is located 25 km from the district headquarters Reasi Town.
Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan, is a Hindu temple located in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, dedicated to Vaishno Devi, a manifestation of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati. It is located on the Trikuta mountain at 5,000 feet / 1,500 meters elevation. The Shakti tradition considers it to be a Shakti Pitha. The temple is governed by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) and has been chaired by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir since August 1986.
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