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Discovery
of the Holy Shrine...
Discovery
of the Shrine
 While
various versions of the origin and legend of Shri Mata Vaishno
Devi Ji are prevalent, there seems to be unanimity on the
discovery of Shrine around 700 years back by the same Pandit
Shridhar, at whose place Mata had helped organize a Bhandaara.
When she left amidst the Bhandaara to escape Bhairon Nath,
Pandit Shridhar is said to have felt as if he had lost everything
in his life. He felt immense grief and gave up the intake
of food or even water and closed himself in a room of his
house, fervently praying for Vaishnavi to reappear.
It is then that Mata Vaishnavi appeared in his vision (dream)
and told him to search for her at the Holy Cave situated amidst
the folds of the Trikuta Mountain. She showed him the way
to the Holy Cave and insisted him to break his fast. Pandit
Shridhar then went on to discover the Holy Cave in the mountains.
Every time he seemed to lose the way, the vision of his dreams
reappeared before his eyes and finally he reached his destination.
Upon entering the Cave he found a rock form with three heads
atop it.  At
that moment Mata Vaishno Devi appeared before him in all her
glory (another version says that the Supreme Energies of Mata
Maha Saraswati, Mata Maha Lakshmi and Mata Maha Kali appeared
in the Holy Cave) and introduced him to the three heads (now
known as the Holy Pindies) of the rock form along with various
other identification marks in the Holy Cave. She blessed him
with a boon of four sons and a right to worship her manifestation
and asked him to spread the glory of the Holy Shrine all over.
Pandit Shridhar then spent his remaining life in the service
of Mata at the Holy Cave.
See also
The Story of Pandit Sridhar
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