Attractions in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir

Katra town serves as the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the famous shrine of Vaishnodevi in the Trikuta hills. Every year, nearly 4 million pilgrims pass through Katra on their way to Vaishnodeviji. Katra is 50 kms from Jammu . It can be approached by a road that passes through a stretch of beautiful valley.

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Vaishno Devi Shrine

Trikuta hill is the base camp for the Vaishno Devi shrine. Katra is 48 km from Jammu . Considered to be one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage in North India , the cave is the abode of the Mother Goddess, who is worshipped here in the forms of Maha Kali, Maha Saraswati, and Maha Lakshmi. As the Goddess welcomes her devotees every day, the number of pilgrims in this hindu pilgrimage keeps on swelling year after year. Vaishno Devi is not merely a hindu pilgrimage; it is a site of spiritual cleansing and resuscitation for the heart that truly seeks the divine.

Jahan Kosha

Jahan Kosha, huge cannon, is about 1 km of Katra. It was built in the early 17th century by craftsman Janardan Karmakar of Dhaka . Kadam Sarif is a beautiful mosque near Jahan Kosha said to contain a replica of the footprint of Hazrat Mohammad, the prophet. The canon is 17.5 ft long and weighs 16,880 lb., with a girth of 5 feet at the touch hole end. The diameter of the touch hole is one and a half inches, and that of the orifice is 6 inches.

Shivkhori

The Holy Cave abode of Lord Shiva is situated at a distance of 70km from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly half a kilometre in length with a 4 feet high naturally formed Shiv-lingam at the heart of the Sanctum Sanctorum. The cave is in the shape of Lord Shiva's Damroo i.e. wide at the two ends while very congested at the centre. The width of the cave is so less at certain place that a person can barely crawl through whereas at places it over a hundred feet wide and quite high too. There are lots of features which can be observed in the cave, however the best of them is the natural milky water dripping from the top to the Shiv-Ling symbolizing the eternity of the holy river Ganga.

Aghar Jitto

Just 5 km away from Katra is Aghar Jitto, the Shrine of Baba Jitto, a devotee of Mata Vaishno Devi and a revolutionary who led a campaign against the feudal order. According to legends, a dip in the holy spring water, flowing in front of the shrine, does miracles to pre-natal women for safe delivery of children. A path from here leads to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.

Dera Baba Banda

At about 30 kms from Katra lies this major Hindu-Sikh pilgrimage centre. Baba Banda Bairaagi was Guru Gobind Singh's favourite 'Saint-soldier', who had the gurudwara constructed on the banks of river Chenab, where he spent his last days.

Baba Dhansar

Located 10 kms from Katra (1 km on foot) is Baba Dhansar, a beautiful and cool picnic spot. Here, a huge spring gushes out of the mountainside in a thick grove of trees and forms a number of small waterfalls before flowing into the holy Banganga. Next to the spring in a small grove in the rock face is a naturally formed ‘Shivling' on which droplets of water fall naturally all the year round. A major ‘mela' (fair) is held here during Shivratri.

Bawey Wali Mata

Just 4 km from Jammu Railway Station, there is an ancient temple of Kali Mata. The temple is inside the Fort called Bahu Fort on the name of its king, Raja Bahu Lochan, son of Jambu Lochan the founder of Jammu city. Pilgrims throng this temple everyday, but the rush on Tuesdays and Sundays is remarkable.