Vaishno Devi (also known as Mata Rani, Trikuta, Ambe and Vaishnavi) is a manifestation of the Hindu mother goddess. She is worshipped as a combined

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

of the goddesses

Mahakali Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. She is also known as the supreme being in various tantras and Puranas. Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal po ...

, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasarasvati.

Origin

Purāṇa

In the Varāha Purāṇa's Triśakti Māhātmya, she originated from the goddess Trikalā and slayed the asura Mahiṣāsura on Śataśṛṅga Parvata where the current Trikūṭa Dhāma of Vaiṣṇōdēvī is situated.

Pāñcarātra

The Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa Saṃhitā's Kṛtayuga Santāna and Dvāparayuga Santāna calls her "Māṇikī", the Śakti of Kalki, as she resides on Māṇika Parvata.

Mythology

It is said that when Bhairavnath ran after Vaishno Devi to catch her, she approached a cave in the hills and summoned

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

. She told him, "I would do penance in this cave for nine months, till then you should not allow Bhairavnath to enter the cave." Hanuman obeyed her orders. Today the cave is known as Ardha Kunwari.

Temple

The Vaishno Devi Temple is a

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, also known as Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and show their devotion to Hindu deities, deities through worship, sacrifice, and prayers. It is considered the house of the god to who ...

dedicated to the goddess located in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir. The

Shakta Shaktism () is a major Hindu denomination in which the deity or metaphysical reality is considered metaphorically to be a woman. Shaktism involves a galaxy of goddesses, all regarded as different aspects, manifestations, or personificatio ...

tradition considered it to be 1 of the 108

Shakti Peethas The Shakta pithas, also called Shakti pithas or Sati pithas (, , ''seats of Shakti''), are significant shrines and pilgrimage destinations in Shaktism, the mother goddess denomination in Hinduism. The shrines are dedicated to various forms of Ad ...

dedicated to goddess

Durga Durga (, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars. Durga's legend centres around combating evils and demonic ...

. Every year millions of visitors visit the temple. Authors Michael Barnett and Janice Gross Stein observe that the "Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in

Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...

has an annual income of about $16 million, mainly from offerings by devotees". Saints such as

Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figure in th ...

have visited the temple.

References

https://www.maavaishnavi.com/51-shakti-peethas-of-maa-durga-maa-sati-dakshayani/

External links

Maa Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
{{Authority control Hindu goddesses Hindu temples in Jammu and Kashmir Hindu pilgrimage sites in India Shakti temples Hindu cave temples in India Katra, Jammu and Kashmir Caves of Jammu and Kashmir