Amarnath Cave

Amarnath

Name: Cave Temple of Lord Amarnath ji
Primary deity: Amarnath(Shiva)
Location: Amarnath, Jammu and Kashmir

Amarnath caves is one of the most famous of Hindu temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Jammu and Kashmir, Republic of India. The temple is reported to be around 5000 years old[1] and is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus - about 400,000 people[2] visit during the 45 day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July-August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shravan. Inside the Amarnath Cave lies the ice Shiva Linga (along with two other ice formations representing Ganesh and Parvati) a natural formation of an ice stalagmite in the form of lingam.[3] This lingam, of Shiva is said to grow and shrink with the phases of the moon, reaching it's height during the summer festival.[4] According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Lord Shiva told about the secret of Life and eternity to His divine consort Parvati,[5] and hence this shrine holds a very special value to the Hindus.

The cave is situated at an height of 3888 m[3] about 141 km from the Kashmir's capital city of Srinagar. The area is under the control of the Indian Army due to terrorism threats and hence prior permission is needed from the government before making the pilgrimage. Devotees generally take the 45 km piligrimmage on foot from town of Pahalgam, about 96 km from Srinagar, and cover the journey in 4 to 5 days. There are two alternate routes to the temple, one the more traditional and the longer path from Srinagar and the other a shorter route from the town of Baltal. Some devotees, particularly the old, also use horse-back riding to make the journey.

The Linga

The cylindrical ice formation resembling a Shiva-linga which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter is a stalagmite.

According to The Hindu (reported on July 2nd 2007), "The Shivlingam in the 200-cubic metre cave was around 12 feet high on June 9 (2007) but had gradually thawed due to warm weather." “The Shivlingam has melted owing to the rise in temperatures. It is a normal phenomenon; weather affects its shape and size,” Shree Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) chief executive officer Arun Kumar said. The other ice ‘lingams,’ representing Parvati and Ganesh were, however, still intact, he said. [1]

History

The temple is reported to be about 5000 years old[1] and has been mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The exact discovery of the cave is not clear, though it is commonly believed that a Gujjar (natives of Kashmir) shepherd found the cave and was given a bag by a saint in it. When he returned home he found them to be gold coins, and this got the entire village excited and believed that the cave is the home to the Lord. Another legend says that an Hindu rishi, Kashyap drained the lake of Kashmir and found the cave along with the lingam in it. This latter legend might be alluding to the geological transformation of this region, when the massive sea in this part was compressed by the Indian geological plate to form the Himalayas.[6]

The Amarnath Yatra, according to Hindu beliefs, begins on Ashadha Poornima (Full Moon Day of Hindu Month 'Ashadha') and ends on Shravana Poornima (Full Moon Day of Hindu Month 'Shravana'). The two-month Yatra for the year 2007 began on July 1, 2007 amidst tight security and adverse weather conditions. [7]

Terrorist threat

The cave is situated at a place where Muslim Kashmiri extremists have been very active recently and thus the pilgrimage is under the constant threat of terrorist attack. However, many pilgrims still continue to brave the attacks and visit the shrine each year. There were a number of terrorist attacks in the recent past and dozens of pilgrims die in them every year.[8]

References

1. ^ a b New shrine on Amarnath route.
2. ^ Amarnath Yatra: court vests authority with shrine board.
3. ^ a b Amarnathji Yatra - a journey into faith.
4. ^ On the road again.
5. ^ Amarnath Cave - The legend.
6. ^ PBS - The birth of the Himalaya.
7. ^ "Amarnath Yatra begins as weather condition improves", AndhraNews.net. Retrieved on 2007-07-01.
8. ^ BBC News - The pilgrimage to Amarnath.