Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) Shakti Peetha
వైష్ణో దేవి
Devi Vaishnavi (Mahalakshmi + Mahasaraswati + Mahakali combined) · Trikuta Hills, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir
Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) Shakti Peetha is one of the sacred sites where parts of Sati Devi's body fell when Lord Vishnu cut them with the Sudarshana Chakra. Body part: Skull (per some traditions).
About the Shakti Peethas
When Sati Devi self-immolated at her father Daksha's yajna (in response to his insult of Shiva), Shiva carried her corpse in inconsolable grief, performing the cosmic Rudra Tandava that threatened to destroy the universe. Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to cut Sati's body into pieces, which fell at 51 (per Devi Bhagavatam) or 108 (per other traditions) locations across India and surrounding regions. Each location became a Shakti Peetha — sacred Devi shrine. The 18 most important are called the Maha Shakti Peethas.
Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) at a glance
| Presiding deity | Devi Vaishnavi (Mahalakshmi + Mahasaraswati + Mahakali combined) |
|---|---|
| Telugu name of the shrine | వైష్ణో దేవి |
| Body part, per tradition | Skull (per some traditions) |
| Where | Trikuta Hills, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir |
| State or region | Jammu & Kashmir |
What sets Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) apart
- One of the most-visited Hindu shrines in India (~10 million pilgrims annually).
- 13 km uphill trek from Katra.
- The deity is in a natural cave with three pindis representing the three forms of Devi.
Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) — frequently asked questions
Which part of Sati Devi fell at Vaishno Devi (Trikuta)?
The account this page follows names the skull (per some traditions). Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) stands at Trikuta Hills, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, and is counted among the eighteen Maha Shakti Peethas — the shrines that grew where the pieces of Sati Devi's body fell after Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra divided it. The lists disagree with one another: 51 places by the Devi Bhagavatam's count, 108 by other traditions, and more than one part named for the same shrine. That is why this page says “per tradition” rather than stating it flatly.
Where is Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) and how do you reach it?
Trikuta Hills, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir. The shrine is written వైష్ణో దేవి in Telugu, and the presiding deity is Vaishnavi (Mahalakshmi + Mahasaraswati + Mahakali combined). Darshan timings, the queue and road access all change through the year and this site does not publish them — confirm those with the temple itself before you travel.
When do devotees visit Vaishno Devi (Trikuta)?
Vaishno Devi (Trikuta) draws devotees through the year, but the two Navratris — the nine nights of Chaitra in spring and of Ashwayuja in autumn — are the principal Devi seasons at every Shakti Peetha, and Fridays together with the Ashtami and Navami tithis are the days kept for the Goddess in between.
We do not publish Vaishno Devi (Trikuta)'s darshan timings, ticket prices or queue lengths — those change week to week and we have no way to verify them from here. What this site can settle is when: see the 18 Shakti Peetha circuit for the auspicious days ahead, Navratri for the nine-night dates, or the daily panchangam for the tithi and Rahu Kalam on the date you are travelling.