Ma Vaishnavi

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Around 700 years ago,there lived a very poor priest named Pandit Shirdhar,who was very heartily devoted to Maa Vaishnodevi. He used to sing his daily prayers and performed Puja daily. He also used to worship little girls (called Kanya Pujan) regularly. And as faith was, he was childless and had no children of his own.

His daily Puja and Prayers for Maa Vaishnodevi went on for many years. At last seeing his firm-faith and the true devotion, Maa Vaishnodevi one day came to Panditji, in the form of a little innocent girl.

Pandit Shridhar had been busy in his daily preparation of Kanya Pujan, where, some little girls were present before him. Maa Vaishnodevi manifested herself in those little-girls. As per the Hindu tradition, while Pt. Shirdhar had been washing the feet of these little girls, his sight fell on Maa Vaishno manifested herself in the form of a little girl. Panditji was astonished to see HER celestial beauty in vermilion garbs; SHE wore on HER divine body. He had never seen the little girl before, and SHE did not even seem to belong to his village. Anyway, he worshipped as usual. When the Puja was over, all the girls returned to their homes after getting their offerings from Panditji, except Maa Vaishnodevi who remained seated.

Panditji was very much confused and was about to enquire and ask Maa Vaishno that Maa Herself spoke to him and said " I have an important task for you." Panditji was spell bound and was astonished more and more to listen to such a conversation from that little-girl. Maa Vaishno asked Panditji to invite people from neighboring villages for a collective lunch - called Bhandhara. Panditji was very much confused and before he could say anything or ask Maa Vaishno about HER, Maa Vaishno disappeared.

Pt. Shirdhar went on thinking hard - who this little girl was? But was unable to find an answer to it… SHE might be an "Eternal-Girl", or may be Maa Vaishnodevi Herself and the more he thought the more he got confused, and worried for the "Bhandhara", as it was not possible for him to keep such a huge Bhandhara. He could not think of anything, and in the end, he decided to obey the Divine Girl and went to tell and invite the people in the neighboring villages.

He went on to invite people from one village to another. On his way, he came across a group of saints. He very humbly bowed before them, and with his folded hands, extended an invitation to them also to attend Bhandhara, the next day. Gorakhnath - the leader of the group of saints - told him that he was mistaking in inviting them at home, as even Lord Indra had not been able to satisfy them. Pt. Shridhar got afraid and related them the event and told them of the Divine-Girl. Gorakhnath in his anxiety accepted Panditji's invitation. He also wanted to see, such a girl, who could prepare food for so many peoples and was very curious to find who this Girl was?

Panditji was fully exhausted when he returned home, and so he went fast asleep immediately on returning home. The next morning, once again, he started worrying about the arrangements for Bhandhara. He just sat in his home, thinking, when people began to gather outside his small hut. Gorakhnath and Bhairavnath, a disciple of Gorakhnath, also arrived along with their disciples.

Panditji was not able to understand what was going on, and to his surprise, all of a sudden Maa Vaishnodevi - The Divine Girl, entered into the little hut. No one could know - which way SHE had come! How and when did SHE arrive? Maa Vaishno told Panditji, "Don't worry, and get up! Everything will be arranged very soon. Tell your guests to come in and sit in the hut." Pt. Shirdhar, immediately got up, and came out to the eagerly awaiting crowd. He invited them to come inside the hut and have food. Gorakhanth then asked - How can we sit in your hut? It does not have a sufficient space for all of us. Panditji folded his hands and said. No problem - please come in....

All people who were invited began to enter one by one in the hut. All of them were astonished to see, that all of them had entered and sat inside the