The temple dedicated to the goddess is the main tourist attraction in Vaishno Devi and is at a distance of thirteen kilometers from Katra. The pilgrims pay a visit to this shrine which is in a hundred feet long cave with a narrow opening. A subtle presence of spirituality infuses even the most reluctant tourist with zest as he embarks on the difficult journey to catch a glimpse of the deity. The tourism in Vaishno Devi is gaining immense popularity due to the presence of this holy shrine and its picturesque and serene locale. There are certain mythological associations relating to the goddess according to which she was born as a young girl of unusual beauty and vigor, out of the jointly pooled 'Tejas' of many 'Devtas' (gods) and three lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shankar. The pressing need of the conception of the goddess was the destruction of Asura (Devil) Mahishasura. Conversely, another purpose was that she could introduce on earth an era of sanctimonious and ascetic life so that harmony could exist upon the world so that she could attain higher levels of spirituality through penance and in the end merge with Vishnu.