The ‘Abode of the
Gods’, holy ‘Ice-Lingam Cave’ atop south Kashmir Himalayas is once again
regenerating a high spirit enthusiasm among devotees for Amareshwara or
Amarnath pilgrimage as the pilgrims, authorities, hoteliers, business community
besides the labourers are once again vigorously engaged in the process of
preparations which are in full
swing.
The pilgrims have, this time enough reasons to
rejoice since the Delhi Government has reduced the number of mandatory health
tests from six to four. Also, the number of Medical certificate issuing hospitals has been
increased from 23 to 42 by the authorities besides the Union Government roping
in the prestigious AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital and RML Hospital and all other
government hospitals in the city to ensure that the pilgrims does not face any
problem in securing the health certificates which became mandatory after the
Supreme Court of India, July 2012 constituted a Special High Powered Committee
(SHPC) to, inter alia, suggested
measures , about 20 for upgrading the healthcare infrastructure in the
Yatra areas and ensure healthcare safety of pilgrims visiting the shrine as the
exposure to severe cold, low humidity, increased ultra violet radiation and
reduced air pressure since the Oxygen level in the air is very low which force
yatris to encounter respiratory complications.
The sacred cave
enshrining the ‘Ice-Lingam’ is about 32 kms from Chandanwari, ahead of the
Pahalgam and just 14 kms from Baltal to ‘Panchtarni’. Earlier, the Sceptre
“Charri Mubarak”, the holy silver mace of the Lord Shiva was forced to move out
from Dhashnami Akhara, Srinagar to Ranbeshwar Temple, Jammu about two decade
ago on arrival of the militancy and gun culture in the Valley of Kashmir thus depriving
thousands of devotees to have dharshan of the famous ‘Ice Lingam’. But the
reality is that the Amereshwara or Amarnath cave is to the Hindus what Bathelem
is to Christians, Rome to Catholics and Mecca to the Muslims of the world.
The elysian valley
of Kashmir within its borders has one of the most amazing holy shrine of Hindus,“Amereshwara
or Amarnath Cave”, the house of the Lord Shiva of the trinity who is the
greatest of the Hindu Gods. The famous ‘Ice Lingam’ cave is really created by
the God and untouched by the human hands so far. The fascinating Hindu
pilgrimage infuses health, mental peace, vigour and spiritual upliftment with a
simple ‘dharshan’ of the ‘Ice-Lingam’ which wanes and waxes with the phases of
the moon. The Amarnath cave, enshrining self-created ‘Ice Lingam’ of the Lord
Shiva, considered to be both the destroyer and healer, is situated at 17,321 ft
above sea level atop a glacier gorge about 141 kms from Srinagar, the summer
capital of the Jammu and Kashmir.
The great festival,
‘Darshan day’, full moon of ‘Shravan Purnamasi’, on 21 August (this year)
celebrated also as ‘Raksha Bhandhan day’ every year in the country. The sceptre
‘Charri Mubarak’ is believed to be obtained by Bragish ji ‘Bhagwan Mahadev’ which
he had enthrusted to Nagraj Takhek and since then, the pilgrims to the cave are
led by this silver sceptre ‘ Charri Mubarak’ held by the head Mahant of the
Dashmani Akhara sadhus. The ‘Charri Mubarak’, silver rod, was always taken to
the famous ‘Sharika’ and ‘Shankracharya’ temples in Srinagar prior to the
departure for the cave with a warm send off by the people from all walks of
life on the 4th day of bright fortnight of Shravan Pakesh prior to
1990 and thereafter, the pilgrims were supposed to
assemble at Phalgam on the 11th day of the bright fortnight of the
‘Shravan Pakhsh’, this would include also the pilgrims arriving from outside
the state possibly for their convenience.
In the initial
years of post- Kashmiri Pandit migration outside the valley the authorities did
not permit yatra from Sonamarg and Verinag routes and all the pilgrims were
asked to pass through Khanabal where a camp was set up to ensure maximum
security and convenience of pilgrims. Similar camps were set up at Ramban and
Banihal and a check point at Lower Munda. This was done to ensure proper record
of the pilgrims in view of the militant activities in the valley. And on the 12th
day of the ‘Shravan Shakulu paksh’ the devotees would proceed towards the cave
in phased manner.
CAVE:
The
Amarnath cave is situated at an altitude with 75 degree 13 longitude and 34
degree 13 latitude and about 17,321 ft above the sea level writes the famous
historian Kalhana in the Rajtarangini. He further claims, “Amereshwara is
believed to have manifested himself to the Gods who entreated him for
protection against death. The God is worshipped in a ‘Linga shapped Ice block”.
The historical source twice makes mention of the cave, “Firstly
where the King Ram Deva is started to have imprisoned the debauched king Sukh
Deva and to have drowned him in the Lidder (Lambodheri) among the mountains of Amarnath about 1000 BC
and secondly where the King Saidmati (34BC to 17 AD) is described as visiting
the ‘Ice Lingam’ writes Samsarchand Koul.
The opening of the
shrine is above 200 ft to 300 ft above torrents and the path leading up to the
cave is a steep and rocky passing straight inwards for about 75 ft and then turns
to right
ROUTES:
Though, the
Amarnath cave is reached through two different routes the traditional old one,
via Pahalgam and the other from Baltal, Sonamarg. The Baltal route is always
full with risk especially if the weather runs nasty. But The Pahalgam route was
considered convenient in view various arrangements like transport, (horses,
ponies and dandies), fuel, food, dry ration items and fodder besides the medical aid provided by the government.
Pilgrims via this route reach the cave in stages travelling daily about 10 to
15 kms. Though, the number of pilgrims in earlier times
Earlier, the
pilgrims accompanying the “Charri Mubarak” from Srinagar would cover the entire
96 kms route on foot in stages from Srinagar to Pahalgam reaching here on the 12th day of
the bright fortnight of ‘Shravan’ and thereafter leaving for Chandanwari on the
same day but it is the place of main congregation these days. Nobody from here
or ahead of this stoppage is allowed to overtake the ‘Yatris procession to
reach the cave.
Chandanwari, a bowl
shaped valley falling on the bank of a stream is situated at about 9,500 ft
above the sea level roughly around 16 kms from Pahalgam. Pilgrims reach here on
the 12th day of ‘Shravan’. The road is fit for vehicles upto this
place. Next day, the journey starts from Chandanwari to ‘Wavjun’. From here, a
steep ascending ‘Pisu’ hill ( 11000 ft) full of rocks starts the actual
hazardous journey and soon reach the ‘Nagkuta hill’, about 3 kms from the
Zojila pass. Pilgrims go along the shore
of the ‘Sheishnag’ ( 11,730 ft) which lies in deep depression surrounded by the
mountain on one side. ‘Sheishnag’, the den of the serpent god is considered the
resting place or ‘aasana’ of the ‘Lord Vishnu’. ‘Sheishnag’ is fed by ‘Kohenhar
Glacier’ looking like a head of Cobra, about a mile long and half mile in width lake.
Its connection with the Zamtihag makes it more enchanting. The pilgrims perform
their ablution in the sacred water of ‘Sheishnag’ which really intolerable
being the temperature of the serene water somewhere around zero degree. Atop
the small hill is the resting place of Wavjun known for the fast winds.
DIFFICULT
PHASE:
Wavjun is about
12,230 ft above the sea level. Next morning pilgrims leave for ‘Panchtarni’
with a firm determination to overcome the most difficult ‘Ashad Daki’ followed by
‘Maha Gunus’ which is at a height of 14,000 ft above the sea level. Many people
pass out while ascending the mountains track of ‘Maha Gunus’ with the
overpowering fragrance of wild herbs or shortage of Oxygen. There is a gradual
descending upto ‘Panchtarni’ after crossing the ‘Maha Gunus’ peak. But on
reaching atop the peak, Nagarpal– a huge boulder, the pilgrims scramble with
some pebbles in their hands beating the rock to proclaim their arrival. ‘Panchtarni’
is at a hands distance from here being just 11 kms away.
‘Panchtarni’ is a
place where Sangam of five streams takes place to form the ‘Sind River’. It
joins the river Jehlum at Shadipur, Kashmir. The constituent tributaries taking birth from the Kounnag
lying in the North-West of ‘Sachkach’ mountain. ‘Panchtarni’ is the final stage
of the pilgrimage being 7 kms away from the holly Cave. Devotees start at
mid-night and cross the ‘Amaravati’, pilgrims take bath and wash their minds
from misconception or the material world.
Water of ‘Amaravati’ is also too cold to touch, being the glacier water but
the devotees hold up their courage to take a bath in ‘Amaravati’. A little walk
from here puts the pilgrims quite in front of the cave enshrining a symbol of
the God sculpted in ‘Ice Lingam’.
The cave ‘Gupha’ or
cavern is a real den of the ‘Lord Shiva’. Droplets of water oozing out of the
roof of the cave get frozen strictly at three places forming the ‘Ice Lingams’,
one large and two small. Immortal emblems of the ‘Lord Shiva’ is comparatively
bigger in size than the other two that of ‘Parvati ji and Ganesh ji’. Through
spacious cave the recitation of the Vedas and mantras used to echo whereas the
devotees awaiting their term recite ‘Bholanath ji ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shanker’.
The devotees, particularly the Naga sadhus, smear the bodies with ‘Amarbuti’, a
chalky substance of Sulphate and Chloride of Calcium. Snow pigeons nests in mountain and make their
appearances at this juncture to give ‘darshan’ to the pilgrims. A legend that the ‘Lord
Shiva’ along with his divine spouse ‘Parvati ji’ stayed here for some time after
the marriage being in a happy mood, agreeable to grant any kind of boon asked
for by the devotees once ‘darshan’ is complete for a pilgrim the next job
before him or her is to return to ‘Panchtarni’ for onward journey to Pahalgam
etc. Generally people return to Pahalgam in two days but a good trekker can
possibly make it a single day return journey being a descending route.
These days, the
pilgrims mostly the youths, Jawans, and foreigners who intend to have the
‘darshan’ and back within the minimum possible time except the challenge posed on
the ‘Baltal- Sonamarg’ route and perform their ‘darshan’ . The Baltal route is
full with risk particularly in bad weather is very and short just 14 kms to Panchtarni. Baltal
provides an enchanting ground at the foot of the Zojila at the eastern
extremity of the Sind valley. The track is just 1.8 metre wide quite irregular
at most of the places and poses many challenges here and there.
In fact, the
devotees nowadays requires to take care of the guidelines issued by the
authorities from time to time in view of the Supreme Court of India’s
constituted Special High Powered Committee (SHPC) recommendations such as Compulsory Health certificate, Form ‘A’ (Application Form), Do’s and Don’ts ( avoid
stoppage at places marked by warning notices and equally avoid use of slippers
etc.) whereas the do’s mostly comprise of common sense issues especially the precautions
well ahead of hilly journey such as deep breathing exercises, Yoga and
Pranayam, warm clothing water proof shoes, torches, walking sticks, small
umbrellas, etc. The pilgrims need to walk in groups and possess proper
communication like mobile etc. And finally, the old age people above 75 years
or below 13 besides the 6 week above pregnant women need to resist to be a part
of any pilgrim group.
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