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Amarnath
Yatra
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| Yatra Information |
| Location: |
Approximately
145 km from Srinagar
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| Dedicated to: |
Lord Shiva
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| How to Reach: |
The nearest airport
is that of Badgam District, while the
nearest railhead is that of Jammu.
You can also undertake a trek to Amarnath
from Pahalgam and Baltal.
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| Significance: |
Naturally formed
ice Shiva lingam
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| Time of Yatra: |
July to August
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Amarnath Yatra in India is dedicated to Lord
Shiva, one of the Trinity gods. The Amarnath
shrine is located approximately 145 km from
Srinagar, 4,175 m above sea level. The path
leading to the holy cave of Amarnathji is inaccessible
in the winters. This is because from September
to June, the weather conditions in the area
are extremely hostile and the path remains
covered with snow. The Amar Nath pilgrimage
tour from Kashmir is possible only in monsoons,
i.e. from July to August.
The Amarnath yatra holds great significance for the
devotees, especially of Lord Shiva. It is believed
that an ice Shivalinga forms in the cave of Amarnath
in every lunar month. The Shivalinga starts taking
shape on the first day of the bright half of the month
and forms fully on the full moon day and then begins
to dissolve on the no moon day. There are four to five
ice figures resembling various deities inside the Amarnath
cave. As per the custom, the largest one is believed
to be of Amarnath (Lord Shiva), one on its left of
Lord Ganesha and ones on the right of Parvati and Bhairava
respectively.
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Legends
of Amarnath
There are many legends associated with the cave
of Amarnathji. One of the legends is that Lord
Shiva was describing the secret of creation to
Goddess Parvati in a cave in Amarnath. Without
their knowledge, a pair of mating doves overheard
their conversation. Having learned the secret of
creation, the doves now take rebirth again and
again and the same cave serves as their abode since
then. Another popular legend is that, to make all
the gods immortal, Lord Shiva distributed celestial
nectar of immortality amongst them. This led to
awarding of the name Amarnath to Lord Shiva, meaning "Lord
of Immortality'".
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Yet another legend is that once
a Muslim Shepherd named Buta Malik was gifted a sack
of coal by a sadhu. After reaching home, he opened
the sack top discover that the sack contained Gold.
He went back to thank the sadhu and on the spot of
their rendezvous found a cave. In due course, this
place became a pilgrimage destination. It is believed
that, till date, a portion of the donations by pilgrims
is given to his descendents. Last, but not the least
is the legend that Kashyap Rishi, the grandson of Lord
Brahma drained the Kashmir valley of water. After the
whole valley was drained, Bregeish Rishi, who was traveling
the Himalayas, discovered the Amarnath cave and lingam.
Slowly, people came to know about the cave and the
Shivalinga and Amarnath came to be regarded as the
abode of Lord Shiva and a revered pilgrim center.
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