All for darshan at Vaishno Devi

A resident of Nanganallur, Mrs. Anandhi Sundararajan, shared her exhilarating experience
during the recent pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi Temple in Jammu and Kashmir.

Around 30 members travelled together with a tour group. During our journey, we also visited
Kurukshetra before proceeding for darshan at Vaishno Devi. The tour operators had
arranged helicopter tickets for both onward and return journeys. The passengers were
allotted seats based on their weight, with five people per helicopter.
I was lucky to get a seat next to the pilot. It was my first helicopter ride. I was thrilled and at
the same time afraid, as we were flying at a height of about 5,200 feet. The ride lasted for
about 5 to 6 minutes, and it was an unforgettable experience.
After landing, we had to walk nearly 2 km to reach the Bhawan. We were advised to first
have darshan of Kala Bhairava, as the rope car facility to higher reaches would stop after
sunset. After completing the darshan, we stood in a long queue for hours in extremely cold
weather.
It was very difficult to stand barefoot in the cold weather, but with full devotion and the desire
to see Matha, we managed to bear everything. Finally, we had the divine darshan of the
three goddesses – Lakshmi, Saraswati and Vaishno Devi.
By the time we completed our darshan, it was already 9 pm, and the helicopter service had
stopped. The group was unsure about how to return to our hotel, which was about 5 km
away. After discussion among ourselves, we decided to travel down by pony, which was the
only available option.
My pony ride was anything but thrilling. My pony was very frisky and kept moving fast. The
man guiding it was tired and wanted to rest, but the pony insisted on walking on. I was very
scared and kept chanting Sri Ramajayam and Jai Matha Di throughout the journey!
Despite the late hour, many pilgrims were seen travelling, with lights on and shops open
along the path. After about one hour of riding, I thought the journey had ended, but we had
to continue further after a short break.
After a while, I realised that my pony was very smart. At sharp turns, it walked carefully,
which gave me confidence. Slowly, I got used to the ride and even started enjoying it.
After nearly 2.5 hours, our group finally reached the base around 12.30 am. I felt relieved
and thankful. I paid and thanked the man and the pony.

I owe big thanks to Matha Vaishno Devi and our Nanganallur Sri Hayagriva for the wonderful
trip. This trip was truly unforgettable and will always remain in my heart.