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Katra or Katra Vaishno Devi, as it is popularly known, is a small town in Jammu and Kashmir, India, situated in the foothills of the Trikuta Mountains, where the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is located. It is part of the REASI District and is located 42 km from the city of Jammu.You will find lot of Govt & private hotels at katra.Katra serves as the base camp for pilgrims who visit Vaishno Devi.
It has a thriving tourism industry that offers plenty of hotels, guest houses, restaurants, dhabas etc. |
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Katra serves as the base camp for pilgrims who visit Vaishno Devi.
It has a thriving tourism industry that offers plenty of hotels, guest houses, restaurants, dhabas,
fast-food joints that fit all kinds of budgets. Free accommodation is provided by some registered trusts
in the form of Sarais for the poor. The number of pilgrims that visit the shrine every year has increased
from 1.4 million in 1986 to 6.2 million in 2005. Over the years, a lot has changed, but one should not miss
the opportunity to walk through the main bazaar (market) for buying (do not forget/hesitate to negotiate a bit)
souvenirs, dryfruits, woolen garments, hosiery, leather jackets, etc. To reach Vaishno Devi temple the pilgrims
have to register at the Katra before starting the trek. By registering, the pilgrims get accidental insurance while
on the trek for 1 lakh INR. It is a trek of 13.5 km.There is another trek (1.5 km) from Vaishno Devi temple for Baba
Bhaironnath. It is said that the pilgrimage is not complete until you visit this temple at last. The scenery throughout
the trek is pictursque.
Environment-friendly auto rickshaws and helicopter services also have started now-a-days to make the journey a pleasant one |
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