The call of the Goddess
Last week while I was still in India, I managed to make a visit to the holy shrine of Ma Vaishno Devi. Located in the hill of Vaishno Devi in Jammu and Kashmir, this is one of the holiest Hindu temples, dedicated to shakti (power). In Hinduism, Vaishno Devi, also known as Mata Rani and Vaishnavi, is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.
Before I even started on my journey, I was told that nobody can visit the shrine on their own. There is a belief that unless the Goddess calls you, your visit won’t happen. My initial idea was to get away from the scorching heat of Delhi but my belief got stronger while I was on way to Jammu. I met a couple in the train who told me that that this was their fifth attempt to visit the shrine. In the last four attempts, in course of their journey something went wrong and they had to go back. This time they seemed quite excited and hopeful. But as they rightly say that you cannot visit till you are called by Mother Goddess. Just a few hours into the train they received a call from their home. Thieves had broken into their house and I could see the disappointment on their faces. Tears rolled down their cheeks as they got up to leave the train on the next station. Before leaving they said, “I don’t know when will she call us.”
Visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine is no less than a mission. It is a 12 km walk from the Katra city. Walking up the mountainous path, one will always hear religious slogans praising the Goddess. There is a spark of strength and commitment that can be seen on the faces of all the devotees present there. People as old as eighty year make a visit to the shrine. For them there are special arrangements like horses or ‘palkis’ (carriers) which help them reach their destination. I saw many devotees walking barefoot in this 12 km walk and admired their dedication.
On reaching the temple, I joined the line waiting to get a glimpse of the Goddesses inside the cave. That was the golden moment, the moment that makes you feel that all the effort made to climb up the 12 km trek is worth in the end. At the end of it, I felt really lucky to be one of those who were called by Mother Goddess to see her at her home.