Mata Vaishno Devi

It is believed the first step of this holy yatra is the Call of Mata. There is a widespread belief - Maa aap bulandi, which translates to The Mother Goddess Herself Calls. A 13-km trek from Katra town in Jammu Region leads to Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage site where the goddess manifests herself in the natural rock formation (holy pindies) in the sanctum sanctorum (cave). A helicopter service from Katra to Sanjhichatt, from where the shrine is just 2.5 km away. A tunnel was used by the devotees to reach the sanctum sanctorum of this holy site in Jammu. However, due to its narrowness, two new tunnels are built that help in the swift movement of pilgrims

Nau Devi Temple

The Nau Devi Temple is a popular tourist attraction for the pristine location it is situated in and for the high reverence, it is held at. A flight of about hundred stairs leads to the small holy cave. Here, you will find “pind” of the nine ‘devis’ (goddesses) which are incarnations of Goddess Durga namely Shailaputri Devi, Bharmachirini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skanda mata, Katyayani, Maha Kali, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri. The surrounding areas of the Nau Devi Temple are very green and clean. There are two caves here, one housing a Shiva Linga and the other the Nau Devis. The darshan shall not take you a long time as this temple does not remain over crowded.

Dera Baba Banda

Dera Baba Banda is not only a major pilgrimage centre for Sikhs but attracts people from other faiths also. It has a Gurudwara built by Baba Banda Bairaagi on the banks of river Chenab. He was Guru Gobind Singh`s favourite `Saint-soldier`. Pilgrims in great number especially from North India throng this place in the month of April to participate in the three-day annual mela. This place is around 300-year-old. The historic gurdwara at Dera Baba Banda Bahadur has the samadhi of Banda Bahadur. Here the ashes of Banda Bahadur are also kept, along with an arrow given by Guru Gobind Singh to Banda. Other attractions include number of weapons and a huge sword used by Banda during wars. Every year an average of 30,000 devotees, from all over northern India, visit throughout the year and especially on the occassion of Vaishakhi, when a three day mela is held.

Bhairon Mandir

Bhairon Temple sits at a distance of 3 km from the Bhawan or the Holy Cave of Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra. It is the next pilgrimage destination after the main sanctum sanctorum of the goddess that pilgrims visit. The sacred yatra is only considered complete when the devotees pay homage at Bhairon Mandir.
The temple is situated at the adjacent hill of Trikuta at an elevation of 2017 m. A steep climb leads to this sacred shrine in Katra. However for the elderly and those who are unable to walk ponies and palanquins are also available

Baba Dhansar

The holy place of Baba Dhansar is situated at Karua Jheel close town Karua, 17 km from Reasi towards Katra in Reasi region of Jammu and Kashmir State, India. The approach includes a stroll of 200 meters from the street. It is a legendary conviction that when Lord Shiva went to the Amarnath buckle to disclose to Parvati the narrative of his interminability, he cleared out his serpent ruler, Sheshnag at Anantnag. Shesh Nag came in the human frame as Vasudev. One of the children of Vasudev was Dhansar who was a virtuous individual. As the nearby conviction goes, in the old circumstances there was an evil spirit who lived close Karua Jheellake and submitted monstrosities on the general population of town Karua.

Shiv Khori Shrine

The Holy Cave abode of Lord Shiva is situated at a distance of 70 Kms from Katra. The cave is a real wonder to be seen and measures nearly half a kilometer 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 center. 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 a 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. The place hosts a major fair on Shivratri. The Shiv-Khori Shrine is well connected to Katra / Jammu by road. The devotees can visit the place by taxi/car. Few bus services from Katra are also available.