BAANA GANGA

LOCATION:Vaishno Devi

PRESIDING DIETY:Vaishno devi related

STORY:Shree-Dhar was an ardent devotee of Ma Vaishno Devi(refer vaishno devi temple). He resided in a village called Hansali, 2 km away from the present Katra town. Once the goddess appeared in front of him in the form of a bewitching girl. The young girl asked the Shree dhar to hold a Feast. The Pandit set out to invite people from the village and near-by places. He also invited 'Bhairav Nath' a selfish demon. Bhairav Nath asked Shri-Dhar how he was planning to fulfil the requirements. He reminded him of the bad consequences in case of failure. As Panditji was lost in worry, the Divine girl appeared and told Him not to be tensed as everything had been arranged. She asked that over 360 devotees be seated in the small hut. True to Her word the Feast went smoothly with food and place to spare.

Bhairav Nath admitted that the girl had supernatural powers and decided to test Her further. He followed the Divine girl to Trikuta Hills. For 9 months Bhairav Nath was searching for the mystic girl in the mountains, whom he believed was an incarnation of the Mother Goddess. While running away from Bhairav, Devi shot an arrow into the Earth from which water gushed out. This water flowed in the direction of bhairav nath to stop his progress towards the goddess.The resultant river is known as Baanganga. It is believed that by taking a bath in Baanganga (Baan: Arrow), a believer of the Mother Goddess can wash away all the sins. The banks of the river, known as Charan Paduka, are marked by Devi's foot imprints, which remains intact till date

REFER TO VAISHNO DEVI TEMPLE AND BHAIRAV GHATI TO KNOW MORE OF THE STORY.. THESE 3 STORIES ARE RELATED