Mata Ki Chowki is a very significant festival in Northern India. Every day of the year, a mass of humanity surges up steep pathways that cut across the hillside for mile after mile to view Holy Pindis, hidden in the cave at Trikuta mountain.
Popular belief holds that anybody who walks the Himalayan trail to her abode to ask for a boon rarely goes back disappointed. There are many who journey here year after year to pay obeisance regardless of their faith or belief, creed or class, caste or religion, for Mata Vaishno Devi transcends all such barriers.
As the legend goes, more than 700 years ago Vaishno Devi, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, used to pray to Lord Rama and had taken vow of celibacy. Bhairon Nath, a tantric (demon-God) tried to behold Her. Making use of his tantric powers, Bhairon Nath was able to see Her going towards the Trikuta mountains and gave chase. The Goddess felt thirsty at Banganga and shot an arrow into the earth from where water gushed out. The Goddess then meditated in the cave at Adhkawari. It took Bhairon Nath nine months to locate Her, the reason why the cave is known as Garbh Joon. when the demon-God located Her, Mata Vaishno Devi blasted an opening at the other end of the cave with Her Trident.
Sheranwali Mata on arriving at the Holy Cave at Darbar, she assumed the form of Maha Kali and cut off Bhairon Nath’s head which was flung up the mountain by the force of the blow and fell at the place where the Bhairon Temple is now located. The boulder at the mouth of the Holy Cave according to the legend is the petrified torso of Bhairon Nath who was granted divine forgiveness by the benevolent Mata in his dying moments.
This year, The Sehgal and Gupta family sponsored the Chowki and about 40 families sponsored the Puja. We had about 250 people who participated in the festival.
Jai Mata Di
Jai Sri Hanuman!! |
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