Amarnath Yatra - the holy Hindu pilgrimage in the lofty Himalayas

The Legend behind Amarnath Yatra  |  Logistics and Arrangements for Amarnath Yatra

All about holy pilgrimage to Amarnath Cave, from Pahalgam, Kashmir

Amarnath Yatra Begins

A Pilgrimage to Paradise!

June - July is time for the annual Amarnath Yatra. One of the most sacred and popular pilgrimages to the holy snow-clad cave shrine of Lord Shiva in the beautiful northern Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. Of all Hindu pilgrimages, Amarnath ? situated at an altitude of 3,880 metres in the southern Kashmir Himalayas ? is considered one of the holiest.

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The Amarnath Yatra, they say, leaves a profound impact of spiritual exaltation on the minds of the pilgrims, who stride through an exceedingly enchanting and enthralling route "upward" to meet the shining glory and greatness of God. Swami Vivekananda recounting his Amarnath experience said, "I have never been to anything so beautiful, so inspiring."

Darshan at the Holy Cave is generally open from early July (Ashad Purnima) to early August (Sharvan Purnima). In 2001, the pilgrimage started on July 4, and in its first week drew more than 10,000 pilgrims for the darshan of the naturally-formed ice Shiva Lingam at the holy cave shrine, according to official records. Since July 2 onwards, 3,500 pilgrims set off daily from the base camp in Jammu to Amarnath. The yatra or pilgrimage that year concluded on August 4, the day of the "Raksha Bandhan" festival. For Registered Pilgrims Only! No pilgrim is allowed to proceed for the yatra without proper registration. In 2001, an estimated 72,000 "yatris" or pilgrims registered themselves for the Amarnath Yatra through the seven registration centers set up for the purpose across India. A medical certification is a must before registering as a pilgrim. [See Details] Security Measures People of Kashmir overwhelmingly support and stand by this Hindu pilgrimage and take pride in the fact that one of the most sacred Hindu yatra is succesfully being held in a Muslim majority state. At times there have been some splinter militant groups which have proclaimed reservations against organizing of the yatra, calling for security arrangements to be beefed up along the yatra route all the way from on highway from Jammu to Srinagar and further to Pahalgam and the trek to Amarnath to ensure a safe yatra. Ensuring A Smooth Yatra While most of the Pahalgam road is open to vehicular traffic, the last 24 km to the holy cave have to be traveled on foot. Adequate measures have been taken to make this tortuous trek easier. The route from Chandanwari to the holy cave has been widened, culverts and footbridges have been strengthened to avoid any untoward incident, and arrangements have been made for proper supply of drinking water to the pilgrims enroute the holy cave. Power development department authorities have been asked to ensure uninterrupted power supply from Sarbal to the holy cave, particularly during nights, and the departments of health, food and supplies, and cooperatives have been asked to keep adequate stock of medicines, oxygen, food grains, firewood and other essentials for the convenience of the pilgrims. In the Hindu mythology, there is a strong connection between the sublime, serene and silvery Himalayan summits and Lord Shiva. Kalidasa, the greatest of the Sanskrit poets described the Himalayas as "the laughter of Shiva." Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, "Of the mountains, I am the Himalayas." And Swami Vivekananda wittily said that India has so many gods and goddesses because it's so close to the Himalayas ? the abode of the gods. The cave shrine of Amarnath can be accessed only during these rainy months of July and August, when inside the cave, a pure white ice-mound is formed, and water trickles down in a slow mysterious rhythm from the top of the cave on top of it. It piles up to take the shape of a lingam, the phallus symbol representing Lord Shiva, which begins to rise undiscernibly to acquire a full shape on the full moon night. It is believed that water from the Ramkund Lake situated above the cave, falls drop by drop on the holy Shiva Lingam. Legend has it that here on a Shravan day, Lord Shiva narrated Amar Katha ? the secrets of the cosmos ? to his consort Goddess Parvati, the beautiful daughter of the Himalayas. As Parvati fell asleep during the discourse, two pigeons heard Lord Shiva's story and attained immortality. Since then the holy place came to be known as Amarnath, and every year on the full moon day of Shravan, a pair of pigeons is seen inside the cave. Read more on the legend here.

Trek to Amarnath

Amarnath cave is located in a narrow gorge on the farther end of Lidder valley at 3,888 m above sea level. The cave is 45 km from Pahalgam and 141 km from Srinagar. The trek begins in July-August. Despite being an extremely difficult trek, millions of devotees come to pay homage to Shiva in one of his Himalayan abodes.

The yatra, in its present religious form, commences with the ceremony of "Chari Mubarak," at the Dashnami temple, Akhara, Srinagar. After the prayers, the yatri acquires a sort of walking stick. It has both physical and religious significance: physically, it helps the yatri in steadying himself on a snow covered slippery path; spiritually it reminds him of his resolve at the temple at times when his faith begins to waver in the face of a long and arduous journey. Nowadays people travel to Pahalgam first and then undertake the onward journey of 45 km on foot, in batches. Overnight halts are in encampments that are set up at fixed distances and give the appearance of a military site. The return trek has to be covered in five days with night halts at Chandanwari, Wawjan and Panchtarni. The distance of 12.8 km from Pahalgam to Chandanwari is completed in five to six hours with the first night halt at Chandanwari. The trail is along thick and green woodlands of breathtaking beauty. The playful stream of Lidder meanders and dances alongside, showing its sparkling white foam with the pride and purity of a maiden descending directly from the lap of the perennial Himalayas. One main attraction of this trail is the bridge on the river Lidder, which is covered with snow even when the surroundings are bereft of snow.

From Chandanwari, there begins a steep ascent to Pishu Ghati (3,171 meters), reminding the yatris that the path to salvation involves superhuman struggle and stamina. A feeling of having reached an ethereal destination overwhelms yatris when they reach Seshnag (3,570 meters) so striking is the beauty, the ambience and the very colour of this great lake. Seshnag symbolizes the cosmic ocean in which Lord Vishnu, the preserver of this universe, moves, reclining on a seven-headed mythical snake. The second night halt is at Wawjan overlooking the deep waters of Sheshnag Lake and the glaciers beyond it.

The third and the last camp en route to the cave is at Panchtarni. This 13 km trek gains height at 4,600 m and then descends to the green meadows of Panchtarni. The cave is 6 km from here. There are long queues waiting to enter the cave for a darshan before returning to Panchtarni. The return journey takes two more days.

There are few precautions which have to be taken on this yatra. Children below 12 years and infirms are not allowed. It is imperative that one is adequately equipped against the cold in the high altitude. It is important to be aware of high altitude sickness and take basic precautions to prevent it. There are ponies available to carry provisions and personal belongings.

Managing this yatra is a mammoth task and requires planning and coordination. The committee managing the shrine keeps maintains the route, ensuring that it is free of boulders and snow, in co-operation with military and civil authorities. More recently, there have been incidents of terrorists having tried to disrupt the yatra, and there is heavy armed protection provided to the yatris. A yatra-officer is appointed to conduct the pilgrimage.