In order to be able to book any of these poojans using internet, the devotee must first register him or her on the shrine board’s website, www.maavaishnodevi.org. After completing registration successfully with the site, you may simply visit the link reading ‘pooja on request’ at the website. Now, you may want to decide if you would be able to make yourself available for participating in poojan or you want the poojan and hawan to be performed in your name. In case of later, the prashad would be send back to you at your registered address after the havan is completed..

Under the ‘pooja on request’ scheme, the poojan and hawan is performed every day in the morning at yagyashala by the pundits. You may want to freeze on the date and slot based on availability of the same. Now, you can either pay online or register for the ‘pooja on request’ by downloading the form and sending it to specified email address along with the DD details.

Under one of the schemes, the shrine board permits up to five members of the same family to be present and physically participate in poojan and hawan in order to derive maximum benefit. Under this category, the family should reach the specified place of pooja at the accurate time as prescribed or he or she forfeits the money paid. Even if the money factor is non-considerable for you, it would be very pleasant and calming to be a part of the poojan/hawan.

Remarkably, if anything abnormal happens and a transaction fails, you should simply close all links in your internet explorer windows and revisit the website. Clearing the IE caches and cookies would further help in getting fresh download of the page instead of retrieval from stored cached documents and objects.

After opening the site in a new window, log on to your account using your user name and password. If you last failed transaction appears in the devote zone, then you can click the re-print option and obtain the printout of the registration. Avoid using back and forward button on your browser as it may give misleading results. Note that you cannot claim a refund for a transaction that apparently failed, but on re-logon, you were able to see the transaction in the devotee zone.

You may use Citibank or HDFC bank payment gateways in order to make online payment.  Notably, children below 10 years would not be charged. Similarly, once booked using online faculty, it cannot be cancelled, post-poned or pre-poned. The critical and essential aspect of “Morning Attka” is its sharp reporting time starting at 05:30 AM and for the “Evening Attka” starting at 06:00 PM sharp at Kalika Bhawan. Please be informed that devotees attempting to come to Attka darshan on a failed transaction would not be entertained at all. Be sure to check the devotee zone before proceeding.

Once you reach Jammu by road, rail route and by air, you would have multitude of accommodation options. There are Yatri Niwas that are maintained and managed by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. Similarly, there are several private hotels like Hotel Vaishno Devi Katra, having a range of choice from regular rooms to luxury suites available depending on your requirement. The rent of the private rooms, range from over Rs. 300 a day to Rs. 3000.

At katra the accommodation options include

• Private Hotels: There are several hotels for instance Hotel Vaisno Devi Katra, named after the holy place. You can not find any other hotel better than this one
• Yatri Niwas: they are maintained and managed by the Shrine Board.
• Dharamshalas: If you have small budget you may want you enjoy your stay at low cost dharamshalas that are owned and managed by different organizations.
• Sarais: A sarai offer free accommodation and managed by the Shrine Board at Sanji Chatt, Adhkawari and Darbar.
• Rest Houses: they are under management of J & K Tourism Department

At sarais and dharamshalas, you may also get blanket service and hire blankets on rent (sometimes free), in case you inadvertently forgot to take appropriate clothing.

While several young people walk a 13 km footpath or climb stairs in order to reach the sacred place and get a glimpse of the shrine, it is not something old devotees may find as easy going. However, for old devotees or visitors, there are plenty of trekking options to choose. The available options include ponies, pithus, palanquins, electric cars and helicopter. Palanquins are commonly known as palkis that is carried by 2-4 men at a time. Electric cars, however, are available from Adkuawari onwards for journey. The rates for each of the options between two locations are fixed and are easily visible on signboards.  The rates, however, vary depending upon if it is a single trip or a return trip, weight of the individual, the mode used i.e. pithus, ponies, and palanquins. Therefore, it costs you more in case you are obese.  There is also a daily Helicopter service between Katra and Sanjichhat from 8 am to 6 pm. The service is offered by pawanhans and deccan aviation and booking can be done on website of  Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board

Like any other tourist places or pilgrimage, it is necessary that you go prepared on this tour as well. The important things to consider before departing your home is to make it a point to ensure that you have appropriate clothing and not to mention the sufficient stock of medicine to cope up with the emergency. If you are planning to visit Vaishno devi in the summer, then you must carry light woolen clothes as against all other weathers that require proper woolen clothes.

The town will be connected by train by 2012 as most of the work on Udhampur-Katra track has been completed. The trains already operate till udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.

Katra will have the most modern railway station in the country with a number of facilities for the passengers..

This facility allows a person to be a part of aarti at the shrine. The shrine board has coupled it with hotel booking as one package whereby, the tourist will not only book a place to be a part of aarti but also the stay. One can easily book this package online, by filling a form and putting in the required information. However, before doing so, you need to know the cost of package too. In a package, you will get a 2-bedded room with AC at Niharika as well as bhavan, 3 meals at Katra/bhavan for one person, aarti darshan and prashad. This is the basic package ‘A’ worth Rs. 16,000 and entitles for only ‘one’ person.

You can choose from ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ too, however, they entitle 2, 3 and 5 persons per package respectively. The cost is Rs.31,000, Rs. 46,000 and Rs. 75,000 respectively for the above stated packages. The difference in cost is because of number of persons involved and hence, as the accommodation gets bigger, so does the price. Finally, if you want to add more members from your ‘own’ family, you will need special permission of authorities of shrine board prior to making any bookings.

Also, do remember that if you plan to book this package on a festival or Navratas, you will need to pay Rs. 21,000  per person. Except for online booking, one way is to send the filled-in form via post along with details of DD to the shrine board.

Before starting the yatra, you must ensure to get your self registered at Shrine Board Yatra Counter and get the yatra slip to visit Vashno Mata temple otherwise you will not be permitted to have Vashno Devi Darshan.

Vaishno Devi yatra starts from Katra. Pilgrims have to trek around 15 km of terrain to reach Darbar. Banganga, where Mata satiated her thirst is just one km away from Katra and the holy cave Ardhkawari at the distant of 6 km. You can start your yatra anytime as the complete path is lit up by sodium vapour lamps. Sheds and cafeterias are setup in the whole way at the small distance. Vegetarian food is available everywhere along with price charts.

Major attractions at Vaishno Devi Shrine Include

Ban Ganga Temple
After leaving Bhumika Temple, she went to Trikuta Hills. At this time, Veer Langur felt thirsty. Maa Vaishno Devi shot an arrow in the rock and the river was produced that is known as called Ban Ganga. She washed her hair at this place.

Charan Paduka Temple
Charanpaduka means “holy footprints”. It is 1.5km from Ban Ganga. Vashno Maa stopped here for some time when Bhairon was trying to chase her. Footprints of Vashno Mata can be seen on a rock in this temple.

Ardh Kuwari
it is the center point of Mata Vaishno Devi where some pilgrims spend their night. The ‘Garbha Joon’ that is 15 km long where Mata hide herself for nine months. This cave is very congested and you have to crawl yourself through all the way. Goddess has made the new path for herself when Bhairav entered in the cave.

Pindis inside Cave
The cave at Trikuta Mountain is a unique cave as the Shakti of Vaishnavi resides in a petrified rock and it is the only place where she appears in three forms Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali. The holiest pindis of Vaishno Maa or Vaishno Devi Mata is the ultimate destination for devotees or pilgrims. A flow of cold water streams out of the bottom of holy pindis which is known as ‘Charanganga’. Charanganga is transformed to ‘Bathing Ghat’ near Bhavan where pilgrims take bath before moving towards deity for Darshans.

Vaishno Devi – The Significance

The most visited shrine consists of holy pindis appearing Mata in three forms Maha Sarawati, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Kali. Each represent particular attribute:

• Maha Saraswati symbolizes Satva – Satva stand for goodness and purity. Mata consecrates devotees with high intellect and pure thoughts. It enables them to differentiate between bad and good and help them to select the right way in life.
• Maha Kali symbolizes Tam Guna: Tam means darkness. In attribute of Maha Kali, she constantly endeavors to defeat the power of darkness. Maha Lakshmi blesses her ‘Bhakt’ known as devotees by providing them potency not to loose their heart and continuously battle with power of darkness.
• Maha Lakshmi symbolizes Raj Guna: Raj means prosperity, sustenance and well being. She blessed her devotees with prosperity and wealth to make their life happy and comfortable.

The combination of these three Devi in single Shakti is called as Mata Vaishno Devi. There divine blessings make this shrine so Unique. Every year more than 75,000 yatris visit here.

Different Aarti and poojan options available to pilgrims are:-

• Aarti Darshan:  Like in every temple, the ‘Aarti’ of the Goddess is performed twice a day. First in the morning before sunrise and second in the evening after the sunset. If you are lucky you may reach the shrine just in time and may get the aarti darshans for free. But chances of this happening are very slim as there are too many pilgrims visiting shrine especially during the aarti time. So, you must book your place in advance. It costs only Rs 1000 plus taxes ( as in Year 2010) and if you have this pass you get entry to shrine through special gate. Official name for this type of darshan is Attka Darshan. For more details read How to Book Aarti Darshan at Vaishno Devi
• Aarti Darshan With Hotel Booking: Official name for such darshan is “Shradha Suman Vishesh Pooja”.  This is a combination of Aarti Darshan and room booking at Bhawan & Niharika plus charges for three meals and Prashad. The cost ranges from Rs. 16000 for one person to Rs. 75000 for 5 people. For more details read How to Book Aarti & Hotel Package at Bhawan in Vaishno Devi
• Hawan / Poojan: This type of pooja is actually a Hawan that is performed at Vaishno Devi Shrine’s Yagyashala. It costs Rs. 5100 as in year 2010. Official name for this type of pooja is ” Individual poojan” .