Vaishno Devi Temple is one of the oldest temples in India. It has a rich history which is still unknown to a lot of people. It is not possible to ascertain everything that has happened but, there are certain things that we know about and are eager to share.
A study says that the Vaishno Devi Temple is millions of years old. There was no mention of truth that a female deity was worshiped. The acknowledgment of worshiping Shakti was started, in the Puranic period, at the time of Mahabharata. Before the famous war of Kurushetra between Kauravas and Pandavas, Shri Krishna advised Arjun to take blessings of Mother Goddess for victory. A good amount of people believed that Pandavas were the first to build the temples at Bhawan and Kandoli for showing gratitude for Mother Goddess.
It is also believed that there were five stone structures of Pandavas built adjacent to Trikuta mountain in the holy cave. The historical visit to the Vaishno Devi Temple is of Guru Gobind Singh and was said to be there in the Holy cave who have gone there via Purmandal.
A lot of people still have a believe that the energies of Maa Vaishno Devi surround the shrine of Vaishno Devi Temple. The head of Goddess Sati fell there which has been disputable whereas, other claims that Goddess Sati’s forearm fell here at this place. The Vaishno Devi Temple is the oldest and holiest shrine of all Shaktipeeths.
It is believed to be true that Vaishno Devi was at first called Trikuta. It is also conceived that when she was 9 years old, she performed penance on a seashore by praying to the Avtar of Lord Vishnu that is Lord Rama. Amid the prayer, Lord Rama has passed the shore looking for his wife that is Goddess Sita who was abducted by the Demon Ravana.
Seeing Trikuta deeply immersed in prayer, Lord Rama blessed her and Trikuta told Rama that she had accepted him as her husband. But at that time, Lord Rama was already married to Goddess Sita and could not be unfaithful to her. So, he gave her a name called Vaishnavi and vowed that he would marry her in Kalyug in the Avatar of Kalki.
Further, it is believed that he had told her to meditate in a cave near the Trikuta range and gave her some things for her protection like an arrow, a lion, a bow, and a small army of Monkeys.
Some traditions believe this Shrine to be the holiest of all Shaktipeeths (a place where the Mother Goddess, the Eternal Energy has Her abode) since the head of Goddess Sati fell here. However this has been a disputable according to several scriptures. Others claim that it is the place here Goddess Sati’s forearm fell. Nevertheless, in the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi, one does find stone remains of a hand known as Varad Hast (hand that grants wishes).
Perhaps the oldest indication of the visit of a historical figure to the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi is that of Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708) who is said to have gone there via Purmandal which was the old route to the Holy Cave passed through this well-known pilgrimage centre.