The annual Machail Mata pilgrimage commenced on Tuesday, with hundreds of devotees paying their obeisance at the high-altitude temple in Jammu and Kashmir&rsquos Kishtwar district. Officials said the yatra started with ceremonial &ldquoPratham Pooja&rdquo at the shrine, which is dedicated to goddess Durga, also known by the name of &lsquoKaali or Chandi&rsquo.
The officials added that the &lsquoyatri bhawan&rsquo set up at the base camp would accommodate 2,000 pilgrims at a minimum charge of Rs 10 per person. The chopper facility has also started working with the start of the yatra from the base camp, making it easier for those who find it challenging to finish the pilgrimage on foot.
About Machail Mata Yatra
Maa Chandi is one of the holy trinity and is considered a living goddess. Recently, the village of Machail in Paddar has become an important place of religious significance due to the temple of Chandi Mata. Every year on the day of the first Bhadon or Bhadoon Sankranti (August 15 or August 16), when the doors of the temples in Paddar are opened, a big mela is held outside the Chandi Mata temple in Machail. People from all over Paddar assemble to offer prayers to the deity and seek her blessings.
During this festival, a mace or Holi Chhari of Goddess Chandi Mata is taken out by devotees from the village of Chinote Bhaderwah, the home village of Thakur Kulbir Singh. Under his leadership, a procession is taken to Machail, with people singing bhajans in praise of the goddess amidst the beating of drums, flute playing, and chanting of mantras.
Nowadays, the yatra is also taken out from Jammu. This procession starts from Bhaderwah then reaches Pul Doda at mid-day, after which the yatra moves towards Kishtwar, passing through Thatari, Drabshalla, Kandni, and Hasti before reaching Kishtwar at around 4 pm. On the next day, the yatra moves from Kishtwar towards Atholi Paddar.
The Journey To The Temple
The Machail Yatra pilgrimage to the high-altitude Himalayan shrine of Mata Chandi, one of the manifestations of Goddess Durga, is becoming increasingly popular each day. It is now the second biggest pilgrimage in the Jammu region, with more than 50,000 pilgrims pouring in at Chandi Dham Machail at a time. Chandi Mata has manifested herself in other places, mostly confined to the Himalayan region. In Jammu itself, she originates in the Mahalaxmi Mandir at Pacca Danga and then at Bhadarwah, where her Chhari (Holy Mace) starts in August every year.
The journey to Machail Mata is a strenuous trek, covering around 306 km from Jammu by road (Jammu-Batote-120 km, Batote-Kishtwar-121 km, Kishtwar-Atholi-Gulbgarh-65 km), and then another 30 km on foot. However, walking alongside fellow pilgrims towards a shared destination can bring a sense of joy and camaraderie.
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