The Hindu Business Line : Valley of temples

It was our second visit to the Mata Vaishnodevi temple and this time we wanted to travel along the original cave route, which remains open during January and February.

Armed with heavy woollens we set out; our first halt was Katra (about two hours from Jammu). We started early morning and carried some dry fruits to keep us going in the cold weather.

Nestled amidst the majestic Trikuta mountains, the cave temple is located at an altitude of over 5,000 ft.

The first halt is Banganga where, according to legend, Goddess Vaishnodevi shot an arrow into the earth and water sprang forth to quench her thirst. We reached “Ardhkuwari” cave, halfway to the holy shrine.

Another legend has it that Vaishnodevi, a devotee of Lord Vaishno, hid in this cave to escape from a demon called Bhairon Nath. The Goddess meditated for nine months in the cave now known as Garbh Joon. We had our own little adventure at the Ardhkuwari cave when we got stuck at the cave opening as we were leaving it. We finally managed to squeeze out with the help of a person standing outside the cave. Our final stop ahead of the cave temple was at Kalka Bhavan.

With a mixture of fear and excitement we approached the cave entrance, only to discover that this route had been closed just the previous night for some construction work. We had a darshan of VaishnoDevi in the form of three Pindies — Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.

Our next destination was Bhairon Ghati, which we decided to approach on horseback. The goddess is believed to have beheaded the demon outside the cave at Darbar and the severed head fell with force on a hilltop known as Bhairon Ghati, 2.5 km away. The dying demon pleaded for mercy and the goddess granted him a boon whereby a yatra to the Vaishnodevi temple would be considered complete only when the devotee has a darshan of Bhairon Ghati.

On our return journey to Katra, some people travelled on horseback while others trekked down.

Cool off in Himachal

Surrounded by pines, deodars and oaks, Dalhousie in Himachal Pradesh affords picturesque views of the snow-peaked Dhauladhar mountains. Named after the 19th-century British governor general Lord Dalhousie, this hill-station is a throwback to the Raj era.

From here we headed towards Dharamshala, passing through Khajjiar (23 km from Dalhousie) with its thick forests of deodar.

We reached Dharamshala towards evening when the temperature was dipping to freezing point. We strolled around Mcleodganj, the main suburb of Dharamshala, mainly hunting for vegetarian food, and ended up having a sumptuous dinner at the Hotel Asian Plaza.

In the morning, as the markets opened, the flow of people — mainly Tibetans — increased; gradually, however, as evening approached, the crowd dissipated and life appeared to stand still. The place attracts a large number of foreigners. The locals, in turn, are very tourist-friendly and ever-smiling! We visited the headquarters of the Dalai Lama at upper Dharamshala. As you enter the monastery you are struck by its peaceful and serene environs.

The next stop was Dal lake, but don’t let the name fool you. This lake is nothing like Srinagar’s picturesque Dal Lake and is no more than a patch of unclean water. Well, at least the next halt at “Naddi Point” made up for our disappointment — here one can get wonderful views of the snow-covered Dauladhar ranges.

Suddenly, there’s a change in the climate and the clouds are kissing the mountains and touching the lower plains. We put our hands outside the car window to feel the clouds — here we were, literally driving in the clouds! Temple tour in Kangra Valley

Our temple tour in Himachal Pradesh began with the Chamunda Devi situated in serene environs at a height of 1,000 m and about 15 km from Dharamshala. According to the Durga Sapt-Shati, two demons — Chand and Mund — tried to harass goddess Ambika.

The furious goddess knitted her brows and from the folds emerged a horrifying form of Kali that slew the demons. The goddess then declared that she would henceforth be worshipped as Chamunda, a combination of the demons’ names.

From the temple we head towards a hill-station called Palampur, which is famous for its tea gardens. The place gets its name from the word pulum, meaning ‘a lot of water’ in the local language. And, indeed, the plentiful water in the region is responsible for its lush green tea gardens and rice fields. The Kangra tea, with its centre at Palampur, has become internationally prominent ever since tea plantation was introduced in the region by a British official in 1849. Our next halt is at the 9th-century Baijnath temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The huge temple complex is surrounded by snow-clad mountains, greenery and resonates peace and tranquillity.

As we advance into the Kangra valley, we come upon that a temple dedicated to Bajreshwari Devi or Kangra Devi. The main temple, after being subject to successive depredations by foreign invaders, was destroyed in 1905 by an earthquake. It was rebuilt in 1920 and its three domes show the architectural features of a temple, mosque and gurdwara respectively.

About 30 km from Kangra we reach Jwalamukhi temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati. An eternally burning flame that emanates from a hollow rock in the sanctum is considered the manifestation of the goddess. The temple is situated in the lap of the Shivalik range of Kangra valley called the ‘Kalidhar’.

Our last halt in the temple trail is the Chintpurni, dedicated to Bhagwati Chinmastika or Mata Chintpurni — the goddess who grants all wishes. Devotees throng the shrine to leave behind their worries and pray for boons.

With so many beautiful temples dotting its lush valleys, little wonder that Himachal Pradesh is considered a “Dev Bhoomi” — the land of God!