Amarnath
One of the holy trinity, Shiva is a living god.
The most sacred and most ancient book of India, the Rig Veda evokes his presence
in its hymns. Vedic myths, ritual and even astronomy testify to his existence
from the dawn of time. But Shiva, the destroyer, the mendicant, is undefinable:
he is the great yogi, the guardian of the absolute. His actions are the themes
of the myths in which his nature unfolds.
Legends
This is The Cave which was chosen by God (Lord
Shiva) for narrating the secrets of immortality and creation of Universe to his
wife the Mother Goddess. The story goes like this. Centuries ago the Mother
Goddess asked her husband Lord Shiva (God) to let her know why and when he
started wearing the beads of skulls around his neck.(Mund Mala). God (Lord
Shiva) replied, "Whenever you are born I add one more skull in my
beads". The Mother Goddess said, "My Lord, my body is destroyed every
time and I die again and again, but you are Immortal. Please let me know the
secret of this". God (Lord Shiva) replied that he has to reveal everything
about himself and his existence as he is the only immortal (Amar) and
everlasting (Sthanu). This secret teaching about God's (Lord Shiva's) form and
characteristics is called the Immortal Story or Amar Katha. The Mother Goddess
insisted that she may be told that secret story. For long God (Lord Shiva)
continued postponing. Finally on consistent demand from the Mother Goddess, he
made up his mind to tell the immortal secret. He started for a lonely place
where no living being could listen it. He chose the Amarnath Cave located in
Kashmir. In preparation to that He left his mount Nandi ( The Bull which He used
to ride ) at Pahalgam (Bail gaon). At Chandanwari he removed the Crescent Moon
from his matted locks of hair(Jata). At the banks of Lake Sheshnag he released
the snakes from his body. He decided to leave his Son Ganesha at Mahagunas
Parvat (Mahaganesh Hill ). At Panjtarni, God (Lord Shiva) left the Five Elements
behind (Earth , Water, Air , Fire and Space) which are the building blocks of
all animate and inanimate beings. He is the Lord of all these elements. It is
believed that as a symbol of sacrificing the earthly world , God (Lord Shiva)
and the Mother Goddess did Tandav Dance. After leaving behind all these, God
(Lord Shiva) enters the Holy Amarnath Cave along with Mother Goddess. God (Lord
Shiva) takes his seat (Samadhi) on the Deer Skin and concentrates. To ensure
that no living being is able to hear the Immortal Tale, he created Rudra (The
God of Destruction) named Kalagni and ordered him to spread fire to eliminate
every living thing in and around the Holy Cave. After this he started narrating
the secret of immortality to the Mother Goddess. But as a matter of chance a
pair of eggs of a pigeon which were lying beneath the Deer skin remained
protected. It is believed to be non living and more over it was protected by God
and Goddess Asan (Bed). The pair of pigeons which were born out of these eggs
became immortal having listened to the secret of immortality (Amar Katha). Many
pilgrims report seeing the pair of pigeons when they trek the arduous route to
pay their obeisance before the Ice-Lingam, the symbol of God (Lord Shiva).
Yet another legend has it that when Kashap
Reshi drained the Kashmir valley of water (it was believed to have been a vast
lake), the cave and the lingam were discovered by Bregish Reshi who was
travelling the Himalayas. When people heard of the lingam, Amarnath for them
became Shiva’s abode and a centre of pilgrimage.
According to an ancient tale, there was once a
Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik who was given a sack of coal by a Sadhu. Upon
reaching home he discovered that the sack, in fact, contained gold. Overjoyed
and overcome Buta Malik rushed back to look for the sadhu and thank him, but on
the spot of their meeting discovered a cave, and eventually this became a place
of pilgrimage for all believers. To date, a percentage of the donations made by
pilgrims are given to the descendants of Malik, and the remaining to the trust
which manages the shrine.
The Trek
The trek to Amarnath, in the month of Sharavan
(July-August) has the devout flock to this incredible shrine, where the image of
Shiva, in the form of a lingam, is formed naturally of an ice-stalagmite, and
which waxes and wanes with the moon. By its side are, fascinatingly, two more
ice-lingams, that of Parvati, and of their son, Ganesha.
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end
of Lidder valley, Amarnath stands at 3,888 m and is 46 Km from Pahalgam and 141
Km from Srinagar. Though the original pilgrimages subscribes that the yatra be
undertaken from Srinagar, the more common practise is to begin journey at
Chandanwari, and cover the distance to Amarnath and back in five days. Pahalgam
is 96 km from Srinagar.
The trek from Chandanwari to Amarnath cave is
on an ancient peregrine route. The 30-km distance is covered in two days, with
night halts at Sheshnag (Wawjan) and Panchtarni. The distance from Pahalgam to
Chandanwari (16 km) now be covered by vehicular transport, and the trail runs
along the Lidder river. Pilgrims camp at Pahalgam or Chandanwari on the first
night out.
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