A spiritual Odyssey... Exploring Vaishno devi, Amritsar and Haridwar... Full details...

जयकारा शेरोवाली का, शेरोंवाली माँ तेरी सदा ही जय III

I've been to Vaishno devi 6 times but everytime i visit, I experience it anew, everytime, my heart is filled with new enthusiasm and my mind finds peace for life...

Day 1 - Arrived in Katra at 5am, bought airtel sim and booked a hotel nearby, freshened up and started trek to Vaishno Devi bhawan. The scenic trail wound its way up the mountains, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. As we climbed higher, the path and surroundings filled with devotion, and the sound of chants and bells filled our ears.

Earlier i used to cover the whole yatra on foot but with new advancement this time i used the electric car from ardhkuwari gufa to the bhawan on the new made path and from bhawan to bhairo baba i used the new constructed Ropeway...

We reached Ardhkuwari temple around 3pm, i enquired about the electric car booking, it was a rush and had to wait half an hour for my number, it took hardly 2 minutes to reach bhawan, we paid our respects to the goddess in the holy shrine , and spent the evening there , had dinner and also book the dormitory for the night...

Day 2 - Second day started with some good breakfast and we were ready to hop on the ropeway to reach bhairo baba temple, there was no rush at the booking counter and the ropeway sight was beautiful, ropeway itself is a marvelous structure to see that has been built on this challenging mountain and to ease people yatra from earlier few hours to now just few seconds....

After completing bhairo baba darshan, we started our descend to katra, again we booked the electric card to reach ardhkuwari and from there we descend on foot to reach katra to ur hotel...

Had dinner to a nearby restaurant, took an auto to reach station for our onward journey to Amritsar...

Day 3 - Reached Amritsar in the night, hotel was already booked, next morning, we went to gurudwara sahib for the darshan...

The Golden Temple, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib and Sri Harmandir Sahib, is a sight to behold, everytime u visit the gurudwara, u have a new sense of joy and happiness to the life...

We spent the whole afternoon exploring the temple and savoring the langar... We also went to Jallianwala bagh which is a must place to visit as it's a poignant reminder of India's struggle for independence...

For "Attari-wagah border" flag lowering ceremony, we booked an auto, it takes more than 1 hour to reach the location...


At the Attari-Wagah border, I felt a surge of patriotism and pride. The lowering of the flags ceremony, a daily ritual, was a sight to behold.
The energetic crowd, the beating of drums, and the synchronized march of the BSF jawans created an electric atmosphere...

It was a moment of national pride, a reminder of our country's rich history and cultural heritage...

We bid farewell to Amritsar and headed to Haridwar...


Day 4 - The day started with reaching haridwar, a sacred city in the foothills of Himalayas famous for it's soul cleansing Ganga river...

I took a dip in the cold water to refresh my heart, soul and mind, it felt like a blessing that brings a sense of spirituality which will always remains in my memory...

Some of the city's ghats are also a special place for spiritual people, people from all over India and abroad come here to pay last farewell to their loved one's who have left their soul, by immersing their ashes into the holy water, a comforting belief that Ganga's water will bring eternal's relief...

As the sun sets, ganga aarti begins, a mesmerizing spectacle of light and sound. The chanting of mantras, playing of damru and the waving of diyas create a majestic atmosphere making ganga sparkles like a diamond in the fading light...

After exploring local market and trying some street food, we began our return journey carrying memories of a once in a lifetime experience...


Here the expenses (one person) 🏻

Train - 180 (Agra to delhi)
1100 (delhi to katra)
160 (jammu to Amritsar)
285 (amritsar to haridwar)
265 (haridwar to Agra)
Sim - 300 (airtel, for id - driving licence)
Electric car - 355 up, 236 down
Ropeway - 100 up-down
Auto - 600 to border and return
Hotel - 800 (at katra, shower plus baggage)
800 (amritsar & haridwar)
Food - 1200-1400 approx

Total - 6500 approx


Useful Tips 🏻

1. Plan ur trip during the cooler months for
more comfortable journey.
2. Book ur tickets and accommodations in adv.
3. Book ur bhawan checkpost, electric car
and ropeway ticket in adv. to avoid waiting.
4. Don't forget to try the local cuisine including
the famous amritsari kulchas and Haridwar's
famous aloo-puri and kachoris.


I hope u enjoyed this blog, have u visited any of the these places, share ur experiences and tips as well... 🏻