Kol Kandholi (Nagrota) is situated around
14 kilometers from Jammu. This is considered to be the first
Darshan of the entire Yatra to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji. It
is believed that Mata Vaishno Devi Ji stayed here for quite
some time observing spiritual discipline. She is also believed
to have played with small girls and gave them a bowl (known as
Kol in the local language) when they felt thirsty. When the
girls shook (known as Kandholana in the local dialect) the
bowls at a dry place, water gushed out of it. Hence the name
Kol Kandholi. It is said that Mata used to play on a swing
with local girls. There is still a tree, where devotees have
put up a symbolic swing, which is worshipped in memory of
those days. The well, which was formed by the water gushing
out of the earth, is present too and it never runs dry.
Legend
also says that Mata Vaishno Devi Ji stayed here for a long
time. At that time the legendary Pandavs (of the epic
Mahabharat) were staying nearby in an Ashram with their
mothers Kunti and Madri. Mythology claims that the Pandavs
were born as Mata's blessings to their parents and they spent
a fair part of their early childhood days serving Mata first
at Kol Kandholi and then at the Holy Cave. The temple at Kol
Kandholi is said to have been built by the Pandavs as a mark
of their reverence for Mata.
Here
too, the revelation of Mata is in a rock form (Pindi), which
is said to have come out of the earth on the day. when Mata
left this place on Her onwards journey to -the Trikuta
Mountain. Since then She is worshipped here in this Pindi
form.
Devotees
have also built another temple nearby. It has very beautiful
idols of Radha Krishna, Shiv and Parvati with Ganesh, Maha
Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati, Ram, Lakshman, Sita and
Hanuman and a beautiful and unique rock structure said to be
the map of the entire Trikuta Mountain. Another temple nearby
has a Shivling with a Nandi outside. Yet another temple
adjoining the Kol Kandholi complex has Darshans of Shri
Satyanarayan with Lakshmi, Shivling with a Shiv idol and an
idol of the Mother Goddess.
Traditionally people used to stop here for some time (even
overnight) and after Darshans proceeded further. Devotees used
to organize Bhandaaras (free meals for all) at nearby places.
Since the pilgrimage was done on foot or horses, Kol Kandholi
served as one of the most important halts during the
journey in olden days.
