Lord Siva of Ice - Amaranath

Amarnath caves dedicated to the god Shiva are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, located in Jammu and Kashmir an altitude of 4,175 m above sea level. This beautiful hill station is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. The pilgrimage to Amarnath holds the same significance for Hindus as the Haj for Muslims. It is an annual event which takes place during the months of June to August when thousands of pilgrims start their spiritual quest from Pahalgam district and move up to the Amarnath cave.

Amarnath temple is situated 145 km from Srinagar, the capital of the North Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. The Amarnath Yatra is organised every year by the Jammu & Kashmir Government during the month of "sharavan" i.e. in July - August. An enshrined image of ice naturally formed in a cylindrical form which resembles Lord Shiva-Linga, begins to take its shape on the first day of the bright half of the month and reaches its full size on the full moon day (Poornima). After getting its fullest shape, it begins to wane and disappear on the new moon day. According to the tradition, the largest ice formation is considered as Lord Shiva Linga.

According to legend the cave is situated at the place where Lord Shiva had given amrit (nectar) to the gods of the Hindu pantheon who wished to attain immortality. Legend has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in the Amarnathji cave. They traveled to an isolated location in the Himalayas, where no one could overhear the secret. On the way Shiva left Nandi the Bull, at Pahalgam (Bail gaon). He released the moon from his hair at Chandanwari. At Sheshnag peak, he released his snakes and Ganesh was left behind at Mahagunas Hill (Mahaganesh Hill). At Panchtarni, Shiva left behind the five elements (Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Sky) and accompanied by Parvati entered the cave. Here he meditated seated on his deer skin. To ensure that no living creature heard the secret he created a fire to destroy all life around him and then began to disclose the secret of immortality to Parvati. However a pigeon's egg hidden beneath Shiva's deerskin remained unharmed by the fire. A pair of pigeons, who overheard the secret of immortality, was born from this egg and even today pilgrims who visit the holy cave can see a pair of pigeons nesting here. Since the secret of immortality (Amar Katha) was revealed within this cave, it came to be known as Amarnath. Inside the cave there is scenery of calm tranquillity of white and glistering three massive Lingmas stand erect symbol of Lord Shiva, Parvathi and Ganesh. There are famous temples at Anantnag, Deviangan, Bijbehara, Akingam, Lukbhavan, and Nagdandi Ashram. The shrine of Baba Hyder Rishi is located at Anantnag. As the cave of Amarnath is in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, the temperature remains cool throughout the year. From September to June, the glacial valley is covered by snow. The difficult weather condition makes it accessible only during the monsoon, i.e., from July to August. The first stage of the trek is to Chandanwadi, the second to Sheshnag and the third over the Mahagunas Pass to Panchtami. Many pilgrims visit the cave from Panchtami and return to Sheshnag the same day, walking back to Pahalgam on the fifth day. The Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Army and Indian Paramilitary Forces maintain a strong presence in the region due to concerns of security and hence prior permission is needed from the Government of India before making a pilgrimage. To reach the holy caves : There are no road or rail connections to Amarnath. Srinagar (145 km), which is connected to Delhi and other Indian cities, is the nearest airport. The common starting point for the Amarnath Yatra is Jammu (300 km). Reaching Amarnath is not an easy trek due to the difficult weather conditions and the steep climb up along the Himalayas.