Vaishno Devi is the manifestation of Mother Durga or Maa Durga. She is also known as Mata Devi and Vaishnavi. Vaishnodevi temple is the Hindu temple dedicated to this Hindu Goddees and it is located on the Trikula Mountains in the Jammu and Kashmir, India. Vaishnodevi is the form of Parvati or Shakti and she is portrayed as a very beautiful Goddess dressed in red. She has eight arms and they hold the trident, bow, arrow, lotus, mace and sword and a hand in the abhaya gesture. She rides on a tiger. The pilgrimage to the temple of Vaishnodevi is the holiest pilgrimage of all times. She is very powerful and will fulfil whatever Her children (devotees wish for). The temple is situated in a Holy Cave which is located in the folds of the three peaked mountain called Trikuta (Trikkota). Millions of devotees throng this temple every year to get the blessings of the Mother.
The devotees have unwavering faith in the Mother and that is the reason why people from all parts of India and abroad visit this holy shrine. The Holy temple is situated at an altitude of 5200 feet above MSL and the devotees have to trek up the path for 12 kilometres from the base camp at Katra. There are many versions of stories about the temple but everyone is of the opinion that the temple was found 700 years back by Pandit Shridhar and it was at his place that Mata had helped organise a Bhandaara. Pandit Shridhar was worried and totally lost when she left in between the Bhandara. He prayed to Vaishnavi to reappear totally giving up food and water and Vaishnavi appeared and told him to search the Holy Cave on the Trikula Mountain. Pandit Shridhar , as per instruction from Mata gave up his fast and discovered the cave where he found a rock form with three heads on top of it. Mata Vaishnavi appeared in front of him in all Her glory and blessed him.
