The Sacred Cave
Amarnath temple, is a legendary place of worship of the Hindus and is one of the major pilgrimages of India. It dates back to thousands of years. According to Hindu mythology Lord Shiva chose this cave to reveal the secrets of immorality and eternity to Parvati, his wife. The cave is home to a naturally occurring ice stalagmite, known as the ice Lingam, which symbolises Shiva’s presence. The ice lingam waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon reaching the maximum size during the Hindu month of Shravana (July – August) on the full moon day. The Amarnath cave with the Lingam is located in Pahalgam.
The Amarnath cave is mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures, which includes the Mahabharata and the Puranas, which date back to around 300 BC. The Sage Bhrigu according to Hindu mythology as per the Bhrigu Puranas had discovered it, Bhrigu is a prominent figure in Hindu mythology, known for his lineage, wisdom, and role in stories involving the divine trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva)
Its mention is there in ancient scripts including the Rajatarangini (“The River of Kings”), a book by Kalhana, a Kashmiri Brahmin. It was written in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. The book with an English translation by M A Stein has the legendary and historic account of the history of Kashmir. The book Rajatarangini (Book VII v. 183) refers to it as Amareshwara. it is also believed that that queen Suryamati in the 11th century AD gifted Trishuls (Trident a divine symbol of Hinduism) and banalingas (a translucent stone, which glistens at night) and other sacred emblems to this temple. Besides this there are several other references to this pilgrimage in many other ancient texts. One of them by a well-known Persian scholar and astronomer Al-Biruni and the other from Francois Bernier, a French physician who accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb during his first visit to Kashmir in 1663. However, after these historical descriptions the Cave and the Lingam were not in the limelight for the public at large, possibly because of the hostile terrain, indifferent rulers and poor communication facilities for centuries.
As per the legendary history, the Amarnath cave and the holy Lingam was re-discovered by a shepherd named Buta Malik, a Muslim, in 1850, a resident of village Batkote, near Pahalgam. He had been grazing his cattle in the mountain when a Sufi saint gave him a bag of coal, which however turned out to be gold later. He went back to thank the saint but found the cave and the Shiva Lingam. His progeny had become the guides and maintainers of the holy cave for more than a century. Gulam Mohammad Malik his grandson still lives in Batakote village, near the foot hills of the mountains of Pahalgam. He still has fond memories of his trips to Amarnath cave. He recites the hymns and the pooja associated with the worship carried out in the cave. In 1947 he had accompanied Rani Tara Devi, Maharaja Hari Singhs wife for the darshan. On return she gave him Majma (a copper plate filled with dates). He recalls his family’s association with the cave and how it strengthened the bond between Hindus and Muslims. The Malik family used to receive a portion of the offerings made by the pilgrims as a token for their services rendered at the cave till 2005. Following this Amarnath shrine board was formed and the age-old practice was stopped. The shrine board is headed by the Lt governor of Jammu and Kashmir Sh. Manoj Sinha and includes members of the shrine board and other administrators.
The Cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 141 km from Srinagar and can be reached by the traditional route through Pahalgam town by way of a 4 day trek. From Pahalgam it is at a distance of around 46 Kms, a path of mystifying natural beauty.
This trek goes via Chandanwari which is the first halt. It has a rough but motorable road which can take small vehicles. The trek then goes through Pissu top to Sheshnag the 2nd halt and finally to the Panchtarni the 3rd and the final halt. From there pilgrims visit the Amarnath Cave and come back. All these places have legendary tales about them depicting the powers of Lord Shiva.
The shorter single day trek which is the preferred route these days is from Baltal near Sonamarg on the Srinagar Leh Road. The total distance from the base to cave is around 14 Kms. The route has some steep cliffs but has been improved considerably recently. This is the route which is protected, assisted and maintained these days by the administration of J&K with the help of armed forces for security reasons. It is a one day back and forth trek.
The Yatra this year will Commence on 3rd July and conclude on 9th August 2025. The devotees are already in Jammu or Srinagar to start the much-awaited journey. The local government has made all arrangements for their comfort. Let peace prevail and our honoured guests get a great darshan of the holy Lingam in the very historic and pious mystic cave.
Prof Upendra Kaul, Founder Director Gauri Kaul Foundation
