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Perched at an elevation of 1,585 metres (5,200 ft), the temple is situated 12 km from Katra on Trikuta hill, approximately 61 km from Jammu city. A geological study of the Holy Cave suggests an age dating back nearly a million years. The Rigveda makes reference to the Trikuta hill, the very location of the temple. In the Mahabharata, an epic detailing the Pandavas and the Kurukshetra War, there is mention of the worship of goddess Vaishno Devi. Prior to the Kurukshetra War, Arjuna is said to have sought the blessings of Durga, guided by Lord Krishna. Impressed by his devotion, Mother Goddess manifested herself as Vaishno Devi. In gratitude, Arjuna praised her with a stotra, including the Shloka 'Jambookatak Chityaishu Nityam Sannihitalaye,' signifying her eternal residence on the mountainside in Jambhu, likely referring to present-day Jammu.

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Legend has it that Bhairon Nath, a renowned Hindu Tantric, encountered the young Vaishno Devi at an agricultural fair and fell passionately in love with her. To evade his advances, Vaishno Devi fled into the Trikuta hills, where she transformed back into her original form of Durga and severed his head with her sword in a cave. The temple venerates the three icons Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati, all representations of Vaishno Devi. These icons have their feet ceremoniously washed with water from the perennial flowing river Banganga.