About Katra — Base Camp for Vaishno Devi

Katra, at 875 m in the Trikuta hills of Reasi district, is the mandatory base camp for every pilgrim heading to the Vaishno Devi shrine 13 km uphill. Modern Katra is a purpose-built pilgrim town — the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) office issues the free 'yatra parchi' (mandatory registration slip) here, and every yatri passes through the Banganga check-post at the trek's start. The town is also the terminus of the Katra Vande Bharat Express from Delhi and hosts the Sanjichhat helipad for the aerial route. Katra itself has a growing set of ancillary attractions: the Baba Dhansar cave temple (12 km), Shiv Khori (80 km) — a naturally-formed Shivling cave — and the Nau Devi Mandir. Most pilgrims spend one night in Katra either before or after the yatra.

The Vaishno Devi Yatra grew from ~1.4 million pilgrims a year in 1986 (when the shrine board took over from the Baridar priests) to over 9 million by 2024. Katra has expanded proportionally, with modern hotels, ropeway extensions, and the new Vande Bharat rail terminus commissioned in 2022.

Darshan & Aarti

🚌 How to reach

Last mile: Local taxis and autos are available near the shrine area.

Where to stay

Estimated expense (per person)

Estimated for a short 2-day pilgrimage.

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