Darshan of Vaishno Devi is now seamless with RFID cards. Anyone who does not possess these cards will be denied darshan.
Additionally, the shrine board administration will install state-of-the-art card scanners. Those who fail to return these cards will be fined. The RFID system is already in place.
A fine will be imposed on those caught without the RFID cards along the new Tarakot Road, Katra Helipad, and Mata Vaishno Devi Railway Station.
The RFID Yatra Entry Card will be available at Katra's Yatra Registration Counter (YRC) according to the Shrine Board's website.
According to the website, Vaishno Devi's central cave does not contain an idol. People offer prayers at the pure rock formations known as Pindies. Only a few people are allowed to pray inside the main cave. RFID tags, therefore, are intended to prevent traffic jams and other hostile situations.
As part of this new initiative, CCTV cameras and verification counters have been deployed in 40 new places. A new Control Center has also been established.
There are many Shrines in India that do not have a definite origin. What is known about the Shrine is that it's been around for nearly one million years, and there has never been any mention of worshiping a female deity. There were references to Shakti, the Goddess of Power and Popular Culture, in some of the Puranic texts. However, the practice started in the Puranic period.
The first mention of the Mother Goddess is in the epic Mahabharat. When the armies of Pandavas and Kauravas were arrayed on the battlefield at Kurukshetra, Arjun, the chief warrior of Pandavas, had what he needed after seeking counsel from Sri Krishna - he meditated on the Mother Goddess and sought her blessings for victory. He refers to her as "Jambookatak Chityaishu Nityam Sannihitalaye '' which means "you who are always dwelling within a temple on top of a mountain in Rajpootana ''.
The Pandavas are also credited with building two temples at Kol Kandoli and Bhawan, both of which pay tribute to the Goddess Mother. The Trikuta Temple is a holy place, so it's not surprising that just next door are five stones shaped like the Pandavas.
One of the oldest references is to Guru Gobind Singh, who's said to have traveled from Purmandal to the Holy Cave. The old foot track to the Holy Cave passed through that well-known pilgrimage center.
The Holy Cave of Mother Goddess Vaishno Devi is believed by some to be the holiest Shaktipeeth because the goddess Sati's skull fell onto this spot. However, other scriptures do not agree with it. They do agree that at a place called Ganderbal in Kashmir, the right arm of Sati fell. Many believe that at this spot, one does find stone remains of a human hand popularly known as Varad Hast (the hand that grants boons).
The history of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine varies depending on who's telling the story. There is general agreement that the Shrine was founded by a Pandit called Shridhar around 700 years ago. The day he found it, Mata had helped organize a Bhandara. When she left amidst the Bhandara to escape Bhairon Nath, Pandit Shridhar felt as if he had lost everything in his life. He felt immense grief and gave up the intake of food or even water and closed himself in a room of his house, fervently praying for Vaishnavi to reappear.
When Mata Vaishnavi first appeared to Pandit Shridhar in a dream, she showed him the way to her Holy Cave among the folds of the Trikuta Mountain. Once there, he took time to break his fast and then began exploring. When he would feel lost, Mata Vaishnavi's vision would appear again before his eyes and lead him back on his way.
Finally, after walking into the Holy Cave, Pandit Shridhar found a rock form with three heads sitting atop it. Mata Maha Saraswati, Mata Maha Lakshmi, and Mata Maha Kali appeared before him in all their glory. Mastering the utmost skill of his day, Pt Shadhar then sculpted them into likenesses and added various other identification marks to provide visitors with a clear waypoint to worship these deities. He then stayed behind to help protect the goddess of this holy site for as long as he could and serve her whenever she demanded it.
The Aarti ritual is performed twice a day, with one at the start of the morning and the other at the end of the day.
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For more information visit: Mata Vaishno Devi Mandir