An Unforgettable Trip

As a child, I used to visit lots of tourist places along with my parents and brothers and sisters but some of the trips are unforgettable trips. One of them I remember is a trip to Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu. It is considered a religious trip where most of the Hindus go to ask blessings from Mata Vaishno Devi. This trip was with my mother, younger sister, my husband and my son aged seven years.

We all reached Jammu by train and from there we reached Katra by bus, from here we had to continue the journey by road by trekking of about 5-8 hours a stretch of about 14 kms, our journey started when we hired a man to carry our bags so that we can easily do the trekking , this trekking route can be done by road or by stairs whatever is comfortable to the devotees , this trekking route is full of devotees 365 days of the year.

Our journey began when we all had evening tea and started trekking at about 6 p.m. my mother and my sister finished their tea and started their trekking.

My husband, myself and my son were about one and a half kms behind my mother and sister, we all had our tea and started trekking keeping an eye on the person carrying our luggage, for about two hours we continued in this manner then suddenly I decided to change my route and started climbing stairs without looking back and reached the half-way called Sanjhi-chhat and when I looked back none of my family members were seen anywhere.

I was worried as it was dark I waited there for half an hour but nobody from my family was seen I was feeling hungry and thirsty and felt I should have a cup of tea but I had no money now what to do. I looked around everybody was seen with their family members and they all were happy. I was worried but thought I will not let anybody notice that I am alone. I continued my journey with the thought that everybody has to reach the ultimate top at the temple I kept walking along with some other family so that I would not be noticed alone, in heart I felt like crying but having faith in Mata Vaishno Devi enchanting JAI MATA DI, I did not stop in between and at about 11 p.m. 

I reached the top and sat there waiting for my members feeling cold and hungry I sat there on stairs in front of the shops which sell prasad and all the offerings for the temple, it was all bright in front of shops I was too tired and I saw a family sleeping nearby I slept adjacent to that family ,as the shops were on way to temple I thought when my members will pass by they will notice me and I slept till 6 a.m. in the morning I woke and looked around to see my family members were coming and they all were worried, when I told them that I reached here last night and was sorry to learn that they were searching for me the whole night my husband told me how he rushed on pony to Sanjhi-Chhat and then down to Katra looking for me as my mother, sister husband and son were united at some time while trekking .

I cannot express how I spent that night perhaps having faith in Mata ji made me overcome my fears of being alone.

We all were crying with tears of happiness, at last, we all were united and thanked Mata Vaishno Devi as the bad time was over. We all thanked Mata Vaishno Devi and had darshan and then did our return journey on ponies.

I cannot forget that trip full of incidences which made my journey unforgettable.