Letstravail
Travel planning content.
Hindu
shakti peetha
1,584 m
Peak season
Vaishno Devi Bhawan
Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati (holy pindis)
Location
Trikuta Mountains (near Katra), Jammu & Kashmir
Darshan
Cave open 24 hours
Best time
March, April, September
Difficulty
moderate
Est. cost / person
₹8,500
About Vaishno Devi Bhawan
Vaishno Devi is a sacred cave shrine dedicated to Mata Adi Shakti in the Trikuta mountains at 1,584 m. Pilgrims trek 13 km from Katra to reach the holy cave, where three natural rock formations (pindis) representing Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati are worshipped.
Darshan & Aarti
Darshan timings
- · Cave open 24 hours
- · Aarti: 6:00 AM & 6:30 PM — cave closed to public
Aarti schedule
- Morning Aarti — 6:00 AM (Cave closed during aarti)
- Evening Aarti — 6:30 PM (Cave closed during aarti)
🚌 How to reach
By Air
Jammu Airport (48 km)
Daily flights from Delhi/Mumbai. Taxi to Katra ~1.5 hrs.
By Rail
SMVD Katra Railway Station
Direct trains from Delhi, Mumbai. Vande Bharat from Delhi (~8 hrs).
By Road
NH-44 Delhi–Srinagar highway.
- Delhi: 630 km · ~12h · NH-44 via Chandigarh–Jammu
- Jammu: 48 km · ~1.5h · NH-44
🚁 By Helicopter
SMVDSB-operated: ₹1,830 one-way. 2 km walk from Sanjichhat to Bhawan.
Last mile: 13 km trek from Katra (5–7 hrs). Options: on foot, pony ₹800, palki ₹4,000, e-vehicle to Adhkuwari, battery car to Sanjichhat. RFID Yatra Parchi mandatory.
Estimated expense (per person)
| Delhi–Katra Vande Bharat return | ₹3,200 |
| Stay (1 Katra + 1 Bhawan) | ₹2,500 |
| Trek pony/palki return | ₹1,500 |
| VIP darshan pass | ₹500 |
| Meals & prasad | ₹800 |
| Total | ₹8,500 |
Add ₹3,660 for helicopter both ways.
Gallery
📍 Nearby attractions
Bhaironath Temple
Traditional post-darshan stop
Golden Temple, Amritsar
Combined 5-day itinerary