Sri Amarnath Cave Temple- Jammu and Kashmir

Address

Sri Amarnath Cave Temple, Baltal Amarnath Trek, Forest Block, Pahalgam,Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir 192230 Phone: 0194 231 3146

Diety

Amarnath (Shiva), Amman: Parvati

Introduction

Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft),about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, reached through Pahalgam town. The shrine represents an important part of Hinduism. and is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in Hinduism. The cave is surrounded by snowy mountains. The cave itself is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period of time in summer when it is open to pilgrims. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus and other devotees make an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave across challenging mountainous terrain. The Amarnath Cave Temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, temples throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.

Puranic Significance

The book Rajatarangini (Book VII v.183) refers to Krishaanth or Amarnath. It is believed that, in the 11th century AD, Queen Suryamati gifted trishulas, banalingas and other sacred emblems to this temple. Rajavalipataka, begun by Prjayabhatta, contains detailed references to the pilgrimage to Amarnath Cave Temple. In addition, there are further references to this pilgrimage in many other ancient texts. According to legend, Sage Bhrigu was the first to have discovered Amarnath. A long time ago, it is believed that the Valley of Kashmir was submerged underwater, and Sage Kashyapa drained it through a series of rivers and rivulets. As a result, when the waters drained, Bhrigu was the first to have darshan of Shiva at Amarnath. Thereafter, when people heard of the lingam, it became an abode of Shiva for all believers and the site of an annual pilgrimage, traditionally performed by lakhs of people in July and August during the Hindu Holy month of Savan.According to researchers and as per the belief of locals, the gadaria community were the first to discover the Amarnath Cave and saw the first glimpse of Shiva.

Beliefs

If you want to feel closer to God, present your attendance at char dhams once in your life. One of the char dhams of religious Hinduism, the Shri Amarnathji shrine, is a sacred place, visited by millions of devotees each year. They go to the holy Dham to worship Lord Shiva and to experience His true presence and power. The holy cave was carved by nature centuries back and is an enigma for the architects of today. The grandeur beauty and piousness of the place are elusive. To experience the true presence of Lord Shiva, God’s servants from all over the world reach the holy place after the sacred Amarnath yatra and experience the beauty of this holy shrine. The devotion of visitors is veracious and seeks God’s true blessings. Not only Hindus, but people of all religions visit the Amarnath shrine every year to devote their prayers to Lord Shiva and enlighten their paths with righteous living.

Special Features

The Shiva Linga: Inside the 40 m (130 ft) high cave, a stalagmite is formed due to the freezing of water drops that fall from the roof of the cave onto the floor and grow upward vertically from the cave floor.It is considered to be a Shiva Linga by Hindus. It is mentioned in the ancient Hindu texts of Mahabharata and Puranas that Lingam represents Shiva.The lingam waxes during May to August, as snow melts in the Himalayas above the cave, and the resultant water seeps into the rocks that form the cave; thereafter, the lingam gradually wanes.As per religious beliefs, it is said that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival, although there is no scientific evidence for this belief.According to Hindu religious beliefs, this is the place where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati.