The holy Amarnath cave temple is the abode of the holy trinity, Shiva. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and is one of the most scared temples of Hindu religion. It is located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,760 ft.), about 141 km from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir and 42 km from Pahalgam. Inside the cave there is ice stalagmite resembling the Shiva Linga, which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter.
The Lingam begins to take its shape on the first day of the bright half of the month and reaches its full size on the full moon day (Poornima). After getting its fullest shape, it begins to wane and disappear on the new moon day. There are two other smaller ice Shivling formed inside the cave which are believed to be symbolic of Ganesh and Parvati. In the month of Shravan, on the full moon in August, thousands of Hindus go on a pilgrimage up to the cave.
Amarnath Temple History
According to one story the Holy Cave was discovered by a shepherd (Gujar) Buta Malik. He was given a bag full of coal by a saint but when the shepherd opened to see in his house it was a bag full of gold. The happy shepherd went back to thank the saint but what he found was that the Saint had disappeared. Instead, he found The Holy Cave and Shiv Lingam there in. Then onwards this place has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage and the cave has been revered as one of the holiest shrines in India. Another legend says that the valley of Kashmir was under water which was big lake. When Kashyap Rishi drained the water through number of rivers and rivulets, the cave and the lingam were discovered by Bhrigu Rishi who was travelling the Himalayas.
Amarnath Temple Legend
According to Hindu mythology Amarnath cave is the cave where Hindu god Shiva had elucidated the secret of life and eternity , Amar Katha to Goddess Parvati It is said that Shiva wanted to reveal the secrecy in a place of isolation far from any life being and thus chose the cave of Amarnath. As a precaution Shiva left his Nandi (the Bull), which he rode at Pahalgam. At Chandanwari, he released the moon from his hair and on the banks of Lake Sheshnag, he released the snake. Son Ganesha was left at Mahagunas Parvat and at Panjtarni, Shiva left the Five Elements behind - earth, water, air, fire and sky. Finally Shiva created Rudra( Kalagni )and ordered him to set afire and eliminate every living thing in and around the Holy Cave. He then narrated the Amar Katha to Parvati. Unknown to them, a pair of mating doves eavesdropped on this conversation and learned the secret. It is believed that these two pigeons are born again and again and many tourists even claim to have seen them on their journey to the shrine.
Amarnath Yatra
Amarnath is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus. Every year in the month of Shravan, a holy pilgrimage to the Amarnath Cave is organised by the Jammu & Kashmir State Government which is attended by millions of Shiv devotees. About 400,000 people visit during the 45 day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July - August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shravan. Despite being an extremely difficult trek, millions of devotees come to pay homage to Shiva in one of his Himalayan abodes. Devotees generally take the 42 km pilgrimage on foot from the town of Pahalgam, about 96 km (60 mi) from Srinagar, and cover the journey in four to five days. There are two alternate routes to the temple, the longer and more traditional path from Srinagar, and the shorter route from the town of Baltal. One can choose from either depending on choice. Since it is quite a long journey some devotees, particularly the elderly, also ride on horse-back to make the journey. Helicopter services are also available for reaching Amarnath and the pickup point is Baltal. Helicopters can be taken from Pahalgam as well.