In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess. Vaishno Devi Mandir, one of the holiest Hindu temples is dedicated to Shakti. Within the cave are ancient images of three principal deities- Mahakali, Mahalaxmi and Mahasaraswati. The temple is near the town of Katra, in Udhampur district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It is one of the most revered places of worship in Northern India. The shrine is at an elevation of 5200 feet and a distance of approximately 12 km (7.45 miles) from Katra. Millions of pilgrims visit the temple every year and is the second most visited religious shrine in India, after Tirupati Balaji Mandir. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board maintains the shrine. A rail link from Udhampur to Katra is being built to facilitate pilgrims` progress.

According to Hindu epic, Ma Vaishno Devi was born in South India in the home of Ratnakar Sagar, Her worldly parents. They had remained childless for a long time. Ratnakar had promised the night before the birth of the divine child, that he would not come in the way of whatever his child desired. Ma Vaishno Devi was called Trikuta as a child, later she was named Vaishnavi because of Her being born from Lord Vishnu`s lineage. When Trikuta was 9 years old, she sought her father`s permission to observe penance on the seashore. Trikuta prayed to Lord Vishnu, in the form of Ram. During Sri Ram`s search for Sita, he reached the seashore along with His army. His attention was arrested on this divine girl, in deep meditation.

Trikuta told Sri ram that She had accepted Him as Her husband. Sri Ram told her that during this incarnation He had vowed to be faithful only to Sita. However, the Lord guaranteed her that in Kaliyuga He would manifest as `Kalki` and would marry Her. In the mean time Sri Ram asked Trikuta to meditate in the cave found in the Trikuta Range of Manik Mountains, situated in Northern India. Ma decided to observe the `Navratra` for the Victory Sri Ram against Ravan. Hence one reads the Ramayana during the nine days of Navratra, in remembrance of the above-mentioned connection. Sri Ram promised that the whole world would wing Ma Vaishno Devi`s praise. Trikuta was to become legendary as Vaishno Devi and would become immortal forever.

With the passage of time uncountable stories about the mother Goddess emerged. One such story is Shri-Dhar. Shri-Dhar was an ardent devotee of Ma Vaishno Devi. He resided in a village called Hansali, 2km away from the present Katra town. Once Ma appeared to him in the form of a young, beguiling girl. The young girl asked the modest Pundit to hold a `Bhandara` (a feast to feed the beggars and devotees). The Pundit set out to invite people from the village and nearby places. He also invited `Bhairav Nath`, a selfish demon. Bhairav asked Shri-Dhar how he was preparing to fulfill requirements. He reminded him of the bad consequences in case of failure. As Punditji was lost in his own fears, the Divine girl appeared again and told him not to loose heart, as everything had been arranged beforehand. She asked that over 360 devotees be seated in the small hut. True to Her word that `Bhandara` went effortlessly with food and place to spare. Bhairav Nath acknowledged that the girl had supernatural powers and decided to test her further. He pursued the girl to Trikuta Hills.

For nine months Bhairav kept searching for the mystic girl in the mountains, whom he believed to be the embodiment of the Mother Goddess. While running away from Bhairav, Devi had shot an arrow into the earth from which water gushed out. The consequential river is known as Baanganga. It is believed that by taking a bath in Baanganga (Baan: arrow), a believer of the Mother Goddess can wash away all his sins. The banks of the river, known as Charan Paduka, are marked by Devi`s footprints, which remain undamaged till date. Vaishno Devi then took shelter in a cave known as Garbh Joon near Adhkawari where she meditated for nine months achieving spiritual knowledge and powers. Her meditation was cut short when Bhairav located her. Vaishno Devi was then obligated to take the form of Maha Kali when Bhairav tried to kill her. The manifestation of the Mother Goddess took place at the mouth of the Holy cave at Darbar.

The goddess then decapitated Bhairav with such absolute force that his skull fell at a place known as Bhairav Ghati, 2.5km from the Holy Cave. In his dying moments, Bhairav pleaded forgiveness. The Goddess knew that Bhairav`s main intention in attacking her was to achieve deliverance. She not only granted Bhairav emancipation from the cycle of reincarnation, but also granted him a boon, whereby every devotee, in order to ensure completion of the pilgrimage, had to visit Bhairav Nath`s temple near the Holy cave after the `darshan` of the Goddess. Meanwhile Vaishno Devi acquired the shape of a rock with three `pindis` (heads) and immersed herself into meditation forever. In the mean time, Pundit Shri-Dhar grew impatient; he started for Trikuta Mountain on the same path that he had witnessed in a dream. He ultimately reached the cave mouth. He made a daily practice of worshipping the `pindis` in several ways. His worship pleased the Goddess. She manifested in front of him and blessed him. Since that day, Shri-Dhar and his descendants have been worshipping the Goddess Mother Vaishno Devi. Thus the Vaishno Devi Mandir echoes the rich legends of Ma Vaishno.