This article is part four in the series of articles on temples of India. Let us know about two more important Indian temples.
Vaishno Devi - The Vaishno Devi temple is one of the holiest temples of Hindus. The temple is located in the Trikuta hills of Shivalik mountain range. This is approximatly 13 km away from Katra in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The temple is dedicated to Shakti - Goddess Vaishno devi. It is the a very popular place of worship for Hindus. Around 8 million people from all over the world visit the temple every year. It is the second-most visited temple of India after Tirupati Balaji temple in South India. There are three statues of the goddess which are called Pinds. Goddess Lakshmi, Goddess Mahakali and Goddess Sarswati. The temple is situated inside a cave. There is one more temple near the cave which is dedicated to Bhairav. It is believed that all devotees who visit the Vaishnodevi temple must visit the Bhairav temple because without visiting this, the pilgrimage remain incomplete. You can visit this temple any time through out the year except in harsh winter when due to excessive snowfall, the road to visit the place closes down. You can go there by helicopter, road or trains because Vaishnodevi is well connected with the nearby major cities.
Kedarnath Temple - The Kedarnath temple is a popular temple of Hindus in India. It is one of the main four hindu pilgrim centres. It is located in the Himalayas on the banks of the Mandakini river. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. This temple is counted in the 12 Jyotirlingas. The Kedarnath temple exists since the time of the Mahabharata as it was built by the Pandavas. Thus it is thousands of years old. It is counted among the most important destinations for Hindu pilgrims from all over the world. The temple remains open in May to October only for 6 months and it remains closed rest of the year because of heavy snowfall. There are many places to visit around the temple like Ukhimath, Devaria Tal, Vasuki Tal, etc.
Usually, people visit Kedarnath temple along with Badrinath temple. More on this temple in the articles ahead.