Set against the backdrop of the snow - capped Pir Panjal range, Jammu marks the transition between the Himalayas in the north and the dusty plains of the Punjab in the south, bridging these two extremities by a series of scrub covered hills, forested mountain ranges and deep river valleys. The southernmost unit of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Jammu region is traversed by the Shivalik hillsand quenched by the rivers Ravi, Tawi and Chenab.

Indian Spiritual tradition has propounded four Purusharth (objectives) of a human life. These are being Dharm (Righteousness), Arth (Material Pursuits), Kaam (Contentment) and Moksh (Enlightenment). Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is believed to grant all the four boons to those who visit Her Holy Shrine. She is considered to fulfill anything and everything that a person wishes for in life, in a righteous way. It is an experience of all, that no one goes empty handed from Her Great Pilgrimage.

The journey to the Holy Shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is thus an enchanting journey of the places where Mata Vaishnavi had spent some time while observing various spiritual disciplines and penances. The culmination of this journey is at the Holy Cave where she merged Her Human form with the astral form of her creators, the three Supreme Energies

Katra (48km) is the major tourist hub in Jammu and serves as the base camp for pilgrimage to Mata Vaishnodevi. The distance of 13 Kms to the holy shrine (Durbar) has to be covered on foot or pony along a well laid path. The shrine of Mata Vaishnodevi is the most hallowed Hindu Pilgrimage of Northern India and attracts over 5 million devotees every year. Katra is also the base for visiting the cave shrine of Shiv Khori (75 kms ), a 1,000 meter long cave housing a 4 ft. high naturally formed Shiva lingam. It is considered second only to Mata Vaishnodevi in religious importance. A major annual fair held here during Shivratri draws devotees in large numbers.

Getting There :

By Air : All major carriers operate regular daily flights to Jammu from all major cities in India. Jammu airport is 08 Km away from the city.

By Rail : Jammu Tawi is the major railway junction of northern India and receives a large number of Express, Mail, and passenger trains from most parts of the India.

By Road : Jammu is well connected to all the major cities and towns of Northern India through the National Highway Network. Daily direct bus services of various categories operate to and fro Jammu to Delhi ( 586 km), Amritsar(243km), Pathankot(116km), Jalandhar (219km), Ludhiana (273kms), Ambala(391km) and Chandigarh(436km).