Vaishnav Devee, or Vaishno Devi, or Mata Rani, or Vaishnavi is the most popular Devee in India. Her temple is near Kataraa in Jammu District in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and approximately 8 million people go visit her Temple. Her Temple is at the altitude of 5,200 feet and approximately at 7.5 miles from Kataraa. It is the second most visited Temple after Tirupati or Tirumalaa Venkateshwar Temple in Andhra.

According to Mahaabhaarat, she was born in South India in the house of Ratnaakar Saagar. Ratnaakar was childless for a long time, but when she was about to born, one day before, he promised that he would not interfere whatever his child would like to do. When she was born, she was named Trikutaa. Later she was known as Vaishnavee because she was born in the lineage of Vishnu. When Trikutaa was 9 years old, she went to do penance for Vishnu in the form of Raam on the seashore. When Raam came to seashore to go to Lankaa, He saw a Divine girl doing penance there. On asking she told that she had chosen Raam as her husband. Raam told her that he had taken the vow to have only one wife at that time time but when he will incarnate as Kalki in Kali Yug, He will surely marry her. In the meantime she should live in a cave of Trikoot hills of Maanik Mountains. She observed Nava Raatri to wish for Raam's victory over Raavan - that is people read Raamaayan during the period of Nava Raatri.

Other Stories
Over the period some other stories also were added. One story is of Shree-Dhar. Shree-Dhar was an ardent devotee of Vaishnav Devee. He lived in a village called Hanslee, about 1.5 miles away from Kataraa town. Once Devee appeared before in a bewitching girl form and asked him to do a Bhandaaraa (to feed the mendicants and devotees). So Shree-Dhar went out to invite people. he invited a Bhairav Naath named person also among others. Bhairav Naath reminded Shree-Dhar that if he failed to do so, it will not be good for him. Shree-Dhar got worried hearing this, but then the same girl assured him of its success and the Bhandaaraa went well for the 360 people in his small hut.

Bhairav Nath got surprised to see this so he thought to ty that girl's supernatural powers himself. As the girl went back to Trikoot hills, he followed her, but lost her at some point. He continued to search her in those hills for nine months as he believed that she was the incarnation of Devee. When the girl was running away she shot an arrow at the Earth and a gush of water sprang up from there. It turned to a river and was called Baan Gangaa as it was the result of shooting an arrow. Where the girl was standing to shoot that arrow, her feet left two marks there. That place was called Charan Paadukaa and is still intact.

The girl entered the cave and started doing Tap there. She attained spiritual wisdom and powers. After nine months as Bhairav spotted her, her Tapasyaa got broken. Bhairav tried to kill her, Devee had to take the form of Mahaa Kaalee and killed him. She killed him with such a force that his skull fell in a valley about 1.5 miles away from that cave. That is how that valley was called Bhairav Ghaatee (Ghaatee means valley). At his dying time he asked for her forgiveness. Devee knew that Bhairav attacked her to achieve salvation, so she gave him salvation and gave a boon that after her Darshan devotees should go to his temple which is near the cave. After that Vaishnav Devee took the shape of a stone with three heads and continued her meditation.

In the meantime Shree-Dhar had a dream of a cave so he started for that cave and worshipped that stone with three heads. After that he continued to worship Devee for his hole life and later his descendents also continued this tradition.