Amarnath Yatra

Amarnath Yatra

Amarnath, located in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most important pilgrimage in India for the worshippers of Lord Shiva. The Amarnath cave has an enshrined Shivaling formed naturally with ice, which resembles Lord Shiva. Amarnath is visited by millions of tourists every year from all across the world for a challenging mountainous trek called 'Amarnath Yatra'. Legend has it that, this place is regarded to be the same cave where Lord Shiva revealed the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvati. Amarnath Cave is accessible only during the Sharavan months of July-August. There are two routes available for undertaking the Amarnath Yatra - via Baltal or Pahalgam. The Baltal route, though shorter, has a steeper trekking route. The Pahalgam route is longer but is generally preferred by most of the devotees The holy shrine of Amarnath Ji, or Amarnath Temple, is located at an elevation of 3,888 meters approx, about 29 kilometers from Pahalgam. Inside the cave is a Shiva Lingam (a phallus shaped formation made of ice), considered to be the most holy symbol by Hindus all across the globe. Devotees visit it in large numbers from June to August, with the pilgrimage tour famously known as Amarnath Yatra, which begins from Chandanwari. It is considered to be one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, or the holiest shrines in Hinduism The place where the Amarnath Cave stands today is believed to be the same place where Lord Shiva explained the meaning of life and eternity to his consort & wife, Goddess Parvati. According to legends, Bhrigu Muni, a famous sage in Hinduism, was the first person to have discovered this holy site. At that time, the entire Kashmir Valley was submerged under water, and Kashyap Muni, another powerful sage, drained the waters with his divine powers. As the waters cleared, Bhrigu Muni was the first person to have the site of the Shiva Lingam