Sarthal Mata

Dash Buja Mata an incarnation of mata Durga has been the chief deity of the Hindus of Kishtwar and its adjacent areas from the ancient time. The holy temple in the present form was got constructed by MahaRaja Hari Singh in 1936-37 from the proceeds of the timber extracted from Dayalwan and Deviyun-Vun. The sacred temple of mata is located at Sarthal which is 30km from Kishtwar town connected by a vehicular road which takes off from Hasti from the NH-1B 11 Kms ahead from Kishtwar town. The holy shrine is at an altitude of about 6000 feet's , surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges, lush green fields, vegetation and charming surroundings. The holy site is neighbored by a cluster of villages and habitations like Agral Sarthal proper , Lawa, Karool etc. having a good population. A higher secondary school, a middle school and many others offices of others departments are located there. Thousands of yatries from different parts of the state throng  the whole shrine almost throughout the year to pay their obeisance and get the blessing of Mata for their well being and prosperity.
Whatever one prays for with the true faith and candid heart, one does get blessed by the mother Goddess and no one has been found UN-rewarded. So the people have an enormous faith in the mother deity. Many people proceed to holy shrine in the form of a big religious processions like Yatra with large numbers of their kiths and kins, friends and relatives, chanting and reciting Bhajans amidst beating drums and allied music to offer their prayers to the holly goddess during the ceremonies of ist Hair-Cut of their children /babies or fulling their oaths made earlier to have blessing of Mata. For such occasion the Yatra or function lasts for 2 to 3 days. Sometimes such yatras are in dozens at a time when entire shrine complex gets flooded by yatries and people and there is a great hustle and bustle and hectic activity which thrills one and all.
The mothe of july every year witnesses the heavy rush and excitement of yatries, pilgrims and devotees who come in streams to visit the shrine to get the blessing , as it is the month when Sarthal Devi Management Committee Kishtwar under "Dharamartg Trust Jammu" organizes a shoba yatra with Holy Mace on Harshudi Saptami(7th day of bright fortnight) of "Ashaar Month",which starts from Shri Gouri Shanker Temple Sarkoot Kishtwar and goes up to holy shrine of Mata Sathal Devi Ji with great pomp and show. The yatra leaves Kishtwar on all types of available vehicles
During Dogra rule this yatra was declared as "Sarkari Yatra". Three days holiday was announced for the entire erstwhile Distt Doda on this religious festival. At the holy shrine of the Goddess, Yagya, Pooja and Havan amidst chanting of vedic Mantras,Shalokas, Bhajan is performed on "Harshudhi Ashtami" with other religious ceremonies as per the rituals and with "Puran-Ahuti" on the last day. Also Keertan and Jagrata is performed at the shrine. Langer is also arranged at the complex.
At the holy shrine complex necessary arrangement are made for lodging and boarding of thousands of yatries in the existing Guest Houses and Dharamshallas. But more accommodation for lodging and boarding is
required to be made available by the Trust by constructing more huts and rooms, as the number of yatries and devotees  i on the rise day by day and year after year due to the Mata blessings and growing faith among people.
Even the Muslim Rajas of Kishtwar used to take the holy mace to Sarthal on the prescribed day with great reverence and organizing langer there.
It is true and very true that the Holy religious and historical, Archeological and natural spots provide a great treasure, substance and potential for exposure of Tourism of any region, zone or place. District Kishtwar is blessed with all the above wealth which requires to be exploited, explored and exposed on the tourist maps by boosting the tourism potential which is suffering due to government's inattention.
It won't be short of a boon if in the 1st instance the famous holy religions shrines of Mata Sarthal Dev Ji and the sacred shrine of Mata Chandi Ji at Machail Padder together with Holy Gumpas near Machail are brought on tourist maps and put under Tourism Department the way it has been done in respect of Holy shrine at Shiv Khori in Reasi Distt.