He decided after so many years we would end his asking and do one final fasting and worshipping at Navratre. Shrirdar did the fast every year and was familiar with it and knew him and his wife had to invite nine local child girls to eat food as an offering to the Great Goddess. So as this was his final attempt ensured well in advance all the preparations. When the girls arrived to eat he did the normal ritual washing their feet and giving them gifts before seating them to all feed the their meal. As they came one by one in he washed their feet and his wife offered them gifts and sat them to their eats ready to eat, after eight girls had turned up there was delay in the ninth and final one. Shridar thought his fast and worship would go incomplete and his last chance to ask The Goddess for a child was looking dreary. And then he heard the sound of anklets outside his door. When he looked he couldn't believe eyes this girl had come to his door she was unlike any other, she looked like an angelic child. He had not recognized her in the local village.

He called over to look at her and they both asked her where she was from the girl answered that she lives not to far from here. Shridar didn't know that this girl was a form of the Goddess who had come to grant his wish. This girl was Vaishno Devi, which had yet not been discovered by devotees. So to ensure Shridar would pass the trial she went to his house as a girl. After the ceremony was over the girl stood up, her glow became radiant. Shridar and his wife looked at her, the girl spoke in an adult manner and said "Your wish will be granted but you have to convery to your local village and hold a feast at your house in the name of Goddess Vaishno". The married couple were confused, the child was giving them orders in a fashion a mother would to her child. Shridar said "We are too poor to invite the whole village and leave no one uninvited, we have enough food only for a few people, how could be possibly invite so many people?" She replied "I ask you only to make sure you invite everyone and make sure they turn up to your house in three days time. I will come and you need not worry about food preparation". The girl left the house and as the Goddess she returned back to the cave. Shridar and his wife were baffled, due to the significance of the little girl and trust in the Goddess the next day they decided to follow instructions and invite the village.

As the girl said invite everyone, Shirdar invited a notorious character in the village called Bhairav Nath who was a tantric yogi who dealt with dark arts. When he approached Bhairav, Shridar said I have an invitation of a feast at my house for the whole village. The Yogi said "Why?". Shridar said "A divine girl asked us to invite everyone for a feast". The Yogi was aware of supernatural and no normal girl would request such an event. So he sternly agreed to attend the feast and said, "Let's see if this divine girl will be able to satisfy my requirements to fulfil hunger".

On the third day it was time for the feast and no sign of the little girl was to be seen. The whole village was there wondering why an invitation to feast would be given if there was no feast to be seen. Shridar was getting incredibly anxious, as the whole village would see him if he failed. It was almost mid afternoon and Bhairav and his entourage turned up. Bhairav looked and laughed and said "You invite us here but here is no sight of food being prepared". "Shridar worryingly said, "I'm sure everything will work out, please be patient just a short while longer". Bhairav and his entourage including Gorakh Nath sat down looking at the happenings. It was gone mid afternoon and Shridar was flustered when suddenly at his doorstep that very same beautiful young girl appeared in red attire. She said to Shridar that him and his wife need not worry and that everything will be taken care and just to go to the village people and start the prayers before eating. Shridar was amazed that his faith had not let him down, so he hurried to the congregation and began reciting prayers. By the time the prayers were over the feast was overflowing in his house, the Pandit had never seen so much food. He was so thankful and grateful to the Goddess and watched as her divine for of a girl helped serve food and feed the hungry villagers. Shridar was pleased that the Goddess had taken such grace on him.

The Godess was all knowing, she knew Bhairav Nath was at the feast. When his turn for eating arrived he said to the girl "So you are the so called divine girl who ordered this huge feast, tell me something, you have given everyone what they desire to eat, will you give me what I desire?". The Goddess Child said "What can I get you to satisfy you and your entourage their hunger?". Bhairav Nath replied, "I am an Aghori Sadhu, I perform tantric rituals and my status requires me to feast on dead meat and madira (wine/alcohol)". The Goddess replied, "This is a Vaishnav feast, only vegetrian vegan food will be served here, please change your order and request something else". Bhairav Nath knew he could push the child further so he stood up and said "Tell me who you really are and reveal yourself to me, you are no ordinary child" and as he stood up he grabbed her by her arm and tried to catch hold of her to test her powers. The Goddess was shocked and appalled so she vanished leaving the feast. Bhairav also took his entourage and left the feast and returned to his residence. Shirdar was saddened his fest had gone incomplete as the Goddess was nowhere to be found. He completed what he could with the feast. Then after it was over Shridar became sad, he felt as if he had been abandoned, he stopped eating and drinking. One day when he was sleeping during the day due to malnourishment, the Goddess came before him and said "You've done nothing wrong, your wish is fulfilled and I am happy with you. Now please join your wife and eat and do my worship and soon I will come again and show you where I am residing". Shridar once again excited with happiness knew his faith would not let him down so he did what the Goddess asked him.

When the Goddess child left the feast she transported herself to a cave. Before she got to the cave she stood at one place to turn around and make sure Bhairav wasn't following her. Here she left foot prints at Charan Paduka. Then Vaishno Devi bloew a whole in a mountain with her trident and created a cave. There is a meaning behind this. The Goddess already was present in the main cave in three pindh's, but Bhairav a yogi had grabbed her arm. Whenever the great Goddess has come to earth to do good no one has ever dared to touch her without her permission. Bhairav had committed a great offence so to regain her cleanliness the Goddess hid in a cave called Ardhkuwari for nine months. Just as a baby is in a mother's womb for nine months the Goddess mediated here for nine months so that she could face Bhairav and give him ultimate trial. As mentioned earlier, Hanuman's monkey army guarded Vaishno Devi's cave. But this new cave the Goddess created was further. When Vaishno Devi summond Hunman he was happy to guard her for nine months to make sure no one would enter, but he had one request. Hanuman said to Vaishno Devi "On this dry mountain where will I drink and wash for nine months?" the Goddess' maternal instinct was evident, she took her bow and arrow and shot it deep into the mountain and out sprung fresh water. This is now called the Ban Ganga river. And Vaishno Devi blessed Hanuman and went into Ardhkuwari for nine months.

During these ninth months Bhairav also was using his tantric powers to search for this Goddess figure. By the time he located her Vaishno Devi's nine months we're over. Just as Vaishno Devi awoke from her mediation, outside, she could see Bhairav and Gorakh Nath we're fighting with Hanuman. Bhairav was using his black magic to surrender Hanuman to let him into the cave where the Goddess was present. When the Goddess saw this she became angry. She ran out of Ardhkuwari, and said to Hanuman, "Hanumanji, my lookout, leave Bhairav Nath to me, step aside". Bhairav and his disrespectful manner encouraged Vaishno Devi to fight with him. He wanted to capture the Goddess and use her powers. Bhairav was unaware that the Goddess was the Mother of the universe.

She shouted to Bhairav "You have insulted me and refused to leave me alone, for the final time, please go and do not bother me or my devotees again". Bhairav was still sure he could overtake the Goddess, he refused and wanted her to fight with her. Vaishno Devi was now so overcome with anger that her appearance went from being fair skinned beautiful female, and her skin became black, dark as night, the anger was fierce in her eyes there was fire and her tongue was lolling, her form had now become so terrifying that she became Maha Kali. The Goddess could not calm her anger, she pounced on her tiger and in her black gruesome form she threw her trident in the air and cut off Bhairavs head. The Goddess' power was so forceful the head of Bhairav fell on the opposite mountain. Bhairav was also no ordinary being, so in his final breaths he shouted "Maa, Mother of the Universe, I am sorry please forgive me. I was ignorant and unknown to your power, Please Mother I beg for your forgiveness".

Upon hearing this the Goddess resumed her original form, she appeared before Bhairav on her tiger and eight arms with a big smile and said "Bhairav, in your last breath you used them to repent, tell me what can I do for you?". Bhairav said "You are Jagdamba, your deovtees are in their millions, please don't let them think I am your enemy, please Mother accept me as you son". Vaishno Devi knew Bhairav was remorseful and she granted him his last wish she said, "When my devotees come to pilgrimage, they must come to the place where your head fell and pay their respects other wise my pilgrimage will be incomplete" Bhairav said "You truly are a Mother of all, you have given me an eternal place at your shrine, Glory to Vaishno Devi"

After this, Vaishno had still kept her word to Shirdar so then she went to his village and appeared before him in his local temple. As soon as Shridar saw her he fell to his feet he thanked her continuously, because after all these years, his wife was finally expecting their first child. The Goddess smiled and she said to Shridar that "You and your family will be the originators to my pilgrimage of Vaishno Devi, come with me and let me show you were I will be for ever immortal for all devotees like you to come and do their pilgrimage". Shridar followed the Goddess as she had given him a great responsibility. Vaishno Devi took Shridar and showed him each place relevant to the pilgrimage. She said "Here is Charan Paduka where I stopped to look back to see if Bhairav was following me. Here is where I meditated for nine months, any devotee who passes this will be reborn and their sins will be cleared. Here is the Ban Ganga where I shot a arrow to quench Hanuman's thirst" Then she showed Shridar the main cave with three pindh's she said her presence will constantly be. She told Shridar the importance of the Holy Cave and how Vaishno Devi is alongside Mahalaxmi, Mahasaraswati and Mahakali. Finally she showed Shridar the place where Bhairav's head fell she explained that without going there to pay his respects her pilgrimage will be considered incomplete.

After Vaishno Devi showed Shridar he was the first to do her pilgrimage, him and his family made it their purpose to look after Vaishno Devi's abode. Today sometimes up to 60 million people per year follow the same path that Shridar did with Vaishno Devi. Vaishno Devi is considered to be the one of the most powerful abodes of Goddess Durga.