Today my Indian visitors are going to hear about the ‘Amarnath Story’. Amarnath is a sacred cave and the most revered pilgrimage site for Hindus, where they believe Lord Shiva revealed the about the secrets of immortality and creation of universe before Goddess Parvati. Every year, thousands of pilgrims undertake Amarnath yatra and trek through the south Kashmir to reach the divine abode of Lord Shiva.
The cave is surrounded with snow-capped mountains and glaciers, where the ice image formation of the God takes place in the form of ‘Lingam’. The main attraction of the ‘Lingam’ is the changing of its size according to the phases of moon.
The Amarnath Story in Mythological History :
The main reason of this miraculous phenomenon is going to be presented today. What is the story behind it? There are many versions of the such cave , but the most popular one is as follows:
“Why Lord Shiva wears a crescent moon on his head?”, Mata Parvati asked. On reply, Shiva told Parvati that the moon was blessed with a boon. The moon was cursed by his father-in-law Daksha to lose his brightness everyday. Shiva replied that he had granted the moon a shelter on his head, where he would regain his light every month.
Then Parvati tried to find the answer why he had given such a boon to the moon. Shiva said that it was because of Chandra(moon)’s helping nature in the difficult situation. Parvati was curious to know about the the situation. Shiva told that it was a long secret story and that he would tell Parvati only if she agreed to accompany him to a hidden place where no one could hear them.
Parvati agreed and both went out by leaving their belongings at different places. For instance, Nandi, the bull at Pahalgam, the Moon from hair at Chandanwari, and snake on the bank of lake Sheshnag. Lord Ganesh was left at Mahagunas Parvat called as Mahaganesh Mountain. Five elements were also left at Panchtarni. Shiva chose a cave as their secluded place.
They entered the cave. he created a fire barrier around them to ensure privacy. He then told her the story of how he had drunk the deadly poison Halahala that emerged from the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons. He said that he had done so to save the world from destruction, but that the poison had turned his throat blue and caused him immense pain. He said that he had sought refuge in the Himalayas, where Chandra had offered him his cool rays to soothe his pain.
Parvati was astonished by Shiva’s sacrifice and asked him if there was any way to relieve him from the poison. Shiva said that there was only one way: to attain immortality by knowing the secret of creation. He said that he was willing to share this secret with her, as she was his beloved better-half and deserved to know everything.
He then began to narrate the secret story of creation, which involved the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space, and how they interacted with each other to form life. He also revealed how he himself was the source of all creation, as he was both the destroyer and the preserver of the universe.
However, she did not notice that a pair of pigeons had entered the cave and were listening to their conversation. These pigeons were actually a couple who had been cursed by a sage to be reborn as birds until they heard the secret of immortality.
When Shiva finished his narration, Parvati thanked him for sharing such a precious knowledge with her. She also asked him how they could attain immortality themselves. Shiva said that they had to perform a special ritual on the full moon night of Shravan month (July-August), when his power was at its peak.
However they were about to start according to the rituals of immortality.However, on this moment, they heard a cooing sound from outside the fire barrier. They looked out and saw two pigeons flying away from the cave. Shiva realised that the two pigeons had already attained immortality by overhearing the conversation. He said with a smile that these pigeons were blessed and would live there as devotees. After all, Parvati joined him in performing the rituals.
This is how Amarnath became a holy place for lakhs of devotees a cross the country.
The Discovery of Amarnath :-
According to our ancestors, Amarnath remained hidden from human eyes for long years, until it was discovered by a Muslim shepherd Buta Malik in 15th century. With that being said, Buta Malik received a bag full of coal from a saint and when he got back home, he was surprised to see gold coins instead of coal. He was grateful but overwhelmed.
And to say thank you to the saint, he went back to the place where he met him but found the cave with Shivling inside instead. This led to the discovery of Amarnath Cave. From then onwards, it became a major place for pilgrimage among Hindus.
Blessings and Benefits of Amarnath Yatra :-
Shiva followers thus, undertake the Amarnath Yatra with true hearts and divine hopes and present to Lord Shiva their wishes of prosperous and healthy life, purity of the sins. Families, friends, and relatives are often witnessed traveling together to Amarnath Temple in Jammu and Kashmir with a holy journey.
Amarnath Yatra is organized every year but in 2023, it has been started since 1st July and will end on 31 August due to Sawan Purnima. There are 2 routes – Pahalgam and Baltal you can choose to go on. This can be covered in 4 to 5 days (Pahalgam) or 2 to 3 days (Baltal). Most pilgrims prefer the longer and more traditional route from Srinagar though. Elderly citizens can choose to ride on a horse too.
If you want to go on Amarnath Yatra in 2023, click here jksasb.nic.into know about the registration dates and book Amarnath yatra packages by Tourism of India for a hassle-free spiritual journey.
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Jay shiv sambhu
Over all its a complete pack carry on boy 💐