Amarnath Yatra 2024: History, Significance And All You Need To Know About The Pilgrimage

Amarnath Yatra 2024: The Amarnath Cave is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva and is also one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peeths.

Amarnath Yatra is one of the most challenging Hindu pilgrimage sites in India. Each year, it attracts lakhs of devotees worldwide. People undertake this rigorous journey to seek blessings from the Ice Lingam situated at a height of 13,000 ft in the Kashmir Valley under the Amarnath Cave, which is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva and is also one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peeths.

Due to heavy snowfall and extremely bad weather throughout the year, devotees can access the cave only for 2 months, which are July and August. According to the Hindu calendar, the month of Shravan is when the cave becomes accessible, and the Ice Shivling is at its fullest. This trek, which has two routes, one via Pahalgam (45 km long route) and the second via Baltal (14 km shorter but steep route), witnesses devotees from 13 to 70 years of age walking with the same zeal and enthusiasm. Both routes will take you through beautiful snow-capped mountains and breathtaking views and will challenge you physically and mentally as well.

This year, the Amarnath Yatra will commence from June 29 and conclude on August 19. Pilgrims willing to embark on Amarnath Yatra this year must register themselves on the official website of Shree Amarnath Ji Shrine Board.

The Story Behind The Holy Shrine: 

According to the Tourism of India, there are a few beliefs that give devotees energy to reach the cave, crossing all the high mountains, flowing rivers, and steep terrains. It is believed that centuries ago, Maa Parvati asked Lord Shiva to let her know why and when he started wearing the beads of heads (Mund Mala), to which Bhole Shankar replied, "Whenever you are born, I add more heads to my bead". To this, Parvati replied, "I die again and again, but you are immortal. Please tell me the reason behind this." Bhole Shankar replied that for this, you will have to listen to the Amar Katha.

Shiv agreed to narrate the detailed story to Maa Parvati and started looking for an isolated place where no living being could listen to the immortal secret and ultimately chose this cave. In rush, he left Nandi at Pahalgam. At Chandanwari, he released Moon (Chand) from his hair (Jataon). At the banks of Lake Sheshnag, he released the snakes from his neck and Son Ganesha at Mahagunas Parvat. At Panjtarni, Shivji left the Five Elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Sky) behind which give birth to life. After leaving all these, Bhole Shankar entered the Holy Amarnath Cave along with Parvati Maa and took his Samadhi. To ensure that no living being is able to hear the Immortal Tale, he created Kalagni and ordered him to spread fire in order to eliminate every living thing in and around the holy cave. He then started narrating the secret of immortality to Maa Parvati. Upon concluding the story, Lord Shiva found that Goddess Parvati had fallen asleep and a parrot had been listening to it the entire while. The Lord became enraged at this and threw his Trishul to the parrot. To save its life, the parrot entered into the womb of a saint's wife and later became immortal.

Many pilgrims report seeing the bird at the Holy Shrine even today and are amazed as to how it survives in such a cold and high-altitude area.

The Holy Cave:

The Holy Shrine is managed by Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), which was constituted by an Act of the Jammu & Kashmir State Legislature in 2000. 

According to the Anantnag district website, the cave is quite large, with its entrance about forty yards horizontally and in height, it is about 75 feet, placing an ice lingam, of about five feet high, inside. There are two more smaller ice stalagmites which represent Maa Parvati and Lord Ganesha. The Hindu pilgrims believe that the height of the Lingam increases and decreases with the phases of the moon. In the month of Shravan, on the full moon in August, thousands of Hindus go on a pilgrimage up to the cave. At this time, the lingam is the highest.

Re-Discovery Of Holy Cave

For centuries, people have been paying visits to the cave, such as Swami Vivekananda, Swami Ramatirtha, and Swami Shankaracharya, the great saint who journeyed from south to have darshan of the ice lingam.

Although the existence of the Holy Cave has been mentioned in the Puranas, the widely accepted story about the rediscovery of this Holy Cave is of a shepherd, Buta Malik. According to the story, a saint gave Buta Malik a bag full of coal. Upon reaching his home when he opened the bag, to his utter surprise, the bag was full of gold coins. This overwhelmed him with joy, and he ran after the saint. However, after a few steps, the saint disappeared. Instead, the shepherd found The Holy Cave and the Ice Lingam inside, and since then, it became a sacred place of pilgrimage.