Y Satyanarayana

Nestled in the Himalayan mountains, high up in Kashmir, beyond Pahalgam is the holy Amarnath cave, where according to Hindu scriptures, Lord Shiva explained to Goddess Parvati, the secret of eternity. Bhrigu Muni was the first person to pay obeisance at the holy cave after Sage Kashyap drained the Kashmir Valley of all water. The whole of Kashmir had been submerged, it is believed, by overflowing rivers. Incidentally, Kashmir is supposed to have been named after sage Kashyap, it is widely believed.

The Shiva Linga here is one of the most venerated ones in the Hindu tradition. The ice Shiva Linga of Amarnath finds mention in the Mahabharata, Puranas and also Kalhana’s Rajatarangini. Many other ancient texts refer to the Shiva Linga in the Amarnath cave.

The holy Amarnath cave is covered under snow for most of the year. It begins to shrink in summer months, as snow in the higher regions of the mountains begins to melt, which is the time thousands of devotees make this difficult pilgrimage. Hindu belief has it that the waxing and waning is directly related to phases of the moon.

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Braving extremely difficult harsh weather conditions, pilgrims over centuries have been visiting this hallowed place. In earlier times, devotees would hike through this Himalayan region under trying circumstances. As much as they braved adverse weather and difficult terrain in earlier times, they now have the threats of terrorists to fear, year after year. And yet, lakhs of devotees visit the holy Amarnath cave reaching Pahalgam and then making the arduous journey to the shrine of Bholenath.

The Shravani mela in the holy month of Shravana and especially the full moon day of Shravana Pournami attracts a large number of devotees, young and old, who throng the sacred site in the face of difficult weather conditions and harsh natural terrain.