Katra is the gateway to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. It is a small town in the Reasi District of the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir. Nestled in the lap of the now famous Trikuta Mountains, this town of Katra is around 42 km from Jammu and a major stopover destination for devotees visiting the temple of Mata Vaishno Devi.

Katra serves as the base camp for visiting the famous shrine which is accessible on foot along a 13 km long and well laid footpath. Every year more than 5 million pilgrims pass through this town on their way to the holy shrine.

By the way, Katra is also the place where devotees have to register before commencing their journey to the shrine at the top of the mountains. This helps the Board keep track of pilgrims to and fro progress and also assess their numbers.