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Amarnath famous Pilgrimage Hub
Shiva is one of the holy Trinity. Vedic myths, ceremonies and even astronomy bear witness to his existence. But Shiva, the destroyer, the mendicant, is hard to define.
Amarnath Caves
The Yatra (pilgrimage) on foot to Amarnath Cave, regarded as one of the holiest naturally occurring shrines of the Hindu faith, is done annually past more than a hundred years. Extending up 130 feet, the Amarnath Cave is towering and shallow.
A Linga Of Ice
Within the large opening, behind an open-gated iron fence, an underground trickle of water comes out 10 feet up from a small crevice in the sedimentary rock and solidifies its drops to form an even cone of ice.
Legends of Amarnath
Kashmir - An Ancient Shaivaite Centre
According to the myth, Shiva made the Gods immortal by giving them with the celestial nectar, and resided here upon their appeal. This blessing of immortality gave this the name Amarnath.
Kashmir was a great Shaivite hub in the 1st millennium CE. .
Tales Of the Cave Discovery
Legend has it that Lord Shiva narrated to Goddess Parvati the secret about how world is created in a cave in Amarnath. They did not know that a pair of mating doves having heard this conversation and having learned the secret, are reborn again and again, and have made the cave their everlasting abode. Many pilgrims state seeing the doves pair when they trek the grueling route to pay their respect before the ice-lingam.
According to a very old tale, there was once a Muslim Shepherd named Buta Malik who was given a bag of coal by a Sadhu (saint). Upon reaching home he found that that the sack, in fact, contained Gold. Overjoyed, Buta Malik rushed back to look for Sadhu to thank him. But on the spot of their meeting discovered a cave, and ultimately this became a place of pilgrimage for all followers. To date, a percentage of the donations made by pilgrims are given to the descendents of Malik, and the remaining to trust which handles the shrine.
Yet, another legend has it that when Kashyap Rishi exhausted the Kashmir valley of water the cave and lingam were found out by Bregeish Rishi who was going to the Himalayas. When people heard of lingam Amarnath for them it became Shiva's home and a hub of pilgrimage.
Getting Away
Road:
From Baltal there is a frequent bus service during the pilgrimage period, getting back to Srinagar that night. At other times, pilgrims stay at Baltal and continue to Sonamarg at a more relaxed pace the following morning. From Sonamarg there are three buses a day to Srinagar and the drive takes almost five hours.
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