Vaishno Devi is the Mother Goddess who is considered to be an incarnation of Durga. She is also known by names such as Vaishnavi, Mata Rani, and Trikuta, and is said to be a combination of Maha Lakshmi, Maha Saraswathi, and Maha Kali. It is stated that anytime Mata Vaishno Devi summons her devotees, they would come to the temple regardless of the circumstances. It is thought that this is where one might have a profound sense of serenity. Mata Rani, who resides in the highlands, grants the wishes of every true-hearted worshiper who comes here. One true devotee of Maa Vaishno Devi was Shridhar. In this article, we will discuss Who was Shridhar and how Shridhar impressed Maa Vaishno Devi.
Who Was Shridhar? How Did Impress Maa Vaishno Devi?
Shridhar was a devout Shakti follower. Shridhar was Mata Rani’s most ardent disciple at the time. He was impoverished and helpless most of the time, yet he never forgot to pray to Vaishno Devi, even when he was starving. He always presented food to Vaishno Devi while he was hungry.
Mata Vaishno Devi arrived before Shridhar, influenced by his devotion, and urged him to organize a Bhandara. Shridhar began fulfilling the order after receiving the instructions. Despite his poverty, Sridhar organized a beautiful Bhandara after receiving assurance and inspiration from Goddess Vaishnavi, who came in his dream at Kanaya Roop one day.
Shridhar chose an auspicious day for the Bhandhara and asked everyone from the surrounding villages to attend. Following that, Sridhar went door to door, asking for raw food from his neighbors and friends, which he could prepare and serve to the visitors on Bhandara day. While a few of them complied, the majority of them declined his request. They mocked him for having the arrogance to organize a Bhandara without having the resources to do so.
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The Day Of Bhandara
Shridhar couldn’t get a single wink of sleep the night before Bhandara. He’d been up all night trying to figure out how to feed his visitors with the meager supplies he had and accommodate everyone in the cramped area he had. He submitted himself to destiny and got up to face the day when he couldn’t come up with a good answer to his difficulties till dawn.
Outside his hut, he sat for puja. His visitors began to arrive around noon. They started to make themselves at home wherever they could find a spot after discovering him intensely engrossed in puja. Surprisingly, a big number of people were able to comfortably fit within Sridhar’s modest hut while a great amount of room remained unutilized.
Shridhar glanced around once the puja was over and observed a large number of people who had gathered. He observed Vaishnavi walking out of his hut as he was pondering how to inform his visitors that he would be unable to feed them. With the blessings of Goddess Vaishnavi, all visitors were served food of their choosing, and the Bhandhara was a huge success, despite some issues made by Bhairon, a Guru Gorakhnath student who was also invited to the Bhandara.
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What Happened After The Bhandara?
Following the Bhandara, Sridhar was eager to unravel the enigma of Vaishanavi’s magical abilities. Shirdhar began by asking young Vaishnavi for explanations for the day’s strange events. He screamed out to her, but she was nowhere to be seen. He yelled again and over again, but to no avail.
Vaishnavi had vanished without a trace. Sridhar was overcome with a sense of emptiness. He then had a dream about the same girl, who informed him she was Vaishno Devi. The Goddess gave him a vision of her cave and bestowed upon him the blessing of four sons.
Sridhar, rejoicing, headed off on the quest for the cave, and when he found it, he resolved to devote the rest of his life to worshiping the deity. The sacred cave’s popularity grew quickly, and worshipers began to come there to pay their respects to the great Goddess.
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Maa Vaishno Devi Temple
Mata Vaishno Devi Cave Temple is located in the Trikuta Hills in Katra, Jammu & Kashmir, and is one of India’s most popular Hindu pilgrimage sites. Hindu pilgrims from all over the world flock to this well-known sacred shrine, where the Mother Goddess, Mata Vaishno Devi, is claimed to grant their desires. This sacred site is known as the most significant Shaktipeeth since it is said that the Goddess Sati’s skull fell here. Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has been in charge of it since 1986. Every year, countless pilgrims from within and beyond the country visit this sacred site.
Mata Vaishno Devi’s devotees believe that no one can attend her temple unless she gives a “Bulava” to them, or until she summons them to her shrine. It is stated that a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi’s sacred shrine can take place regardless of caste, creed, or socioeconomic standing if and only if she wills it and blesses the believer with her darshan.
Many followers have claimed to have witnessed this firsthand. It’s also stated that the opposite is true. Even those who had not intended to visit the Goddess at her shrine will be compelled to do so if they receive a call from the Deity.
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