Amarnath Cave

In the Pahalgam tehsil of the Anantnag region of Jammu and Kashmir, India is the Hindu temple known as Amarnath Temple. The cave is located 3,888 meters (12,756 feet) above sea level, approximately 168 kilometers from the district capital of Anantnag and 141 kilometers (88 miles) from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, which may be accessed via Sonamarg or Pahalgam. In Hinduism, this shrine is significant.

The cave, which is in Sind Valley, is encircled by glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and snow throughout most of the year, with the exception of a brief summer pilgrimage season. There were between 12,000 and 30,000 pilgrims in 1989.

The number of pilgrims peaked in 2011 when it surpassed 6.3 lakh (630,000). 2.85 lakh pilgrims (285,000) traveled in 2018. The length of the yearly pilgrimage ranges from 20 to 60 days.

One of the 51 Shakti Pithas—the temples across the Indian subcontinent that honor the site of the falling body parts of the Hindu goddess Sati—is the Amarnath cave, home of the Mahamaya Shakti Pitha.

Shiva Linga

At the sanctuary, the Shiva Lingam is actually a Swayambhu lingam. Located inside a 40-meter (130-foot) cave at a height of 3,888 meters (12,756 feet) on the Amarnath Mountain, which has a summit of 5,186 meters (17,014 feet), is a naturally occurring stalagmite creation known as the lingam.

When water droplets fall from the cave’s roof and freeze on the floor, an ice structure rises to the ceiling and becomes a stalagmite. In this place, the stalagmites that are regarded as the lingam—a physical representation of Shiva—form a solid dome. It is believed that Parvati and Ganesha are represented by two smaller stalagmites.

Shiva is represented with a lingam in the ancient Hindu books of the Mahabharata and Puranas. The lingam progressively wanes from May to August as a result of water seeping into the cave’s rocks from snowmelt in the Himalayas above the cave.

According to religious beliefs, the lingam grows and shrinks in accordance with the moon’s phases, reaching its maximum size during the summer festival. Hindus hold that Shiva revealed the meaning of life and eternity to his holy spouse, Parvati, at this location.

The cave sits in Lidder Valley, which is home to several glaciers. Glaciologist and former chairman of the University of Jammu’s geography department M. N. Koul stated in 2009 that although further research is necessary, modifications to the water’s path to the lingam may be a factor in the size variation of lingams.

The cave is composed of gypsum and limestone. The stalagmite’s size is impacted by the heat that visitors produce. Their size is also impacted by variations in outside temperature. Helipad locations and helicopter rides are controlled to reduce artificially generated temperature variations. The idea of intentionally prolonging the stalagmites’ lives has been discussed, although this has drawn criticism.

Past Events

Krishaanth or Amarnath is mentioned in Book VII, v. 183 of the Rajatarangini book. It is thought that Queen Suryamati gave trishulas, banalingas, and other holy symbols to this temple around the eleventh century CE.

Prajna Bhatta started the Rajavalipataka, which has extensive allusions to the journey to the Amarnath Cave Temple. Many other ancient books also make further references to this trek.

History of the Middle Ages

The 16th-century text Ain-i-Akbari by Abu’l Fazl mentions both the cave and the Shivling. He said that the location drew a large number of pilgrims. He talks about how the lingam waxes and wanes in accordance with the moon and the seasons.

Emperor Aurangzeb was joined in Kashmir in 1663 by the French surgeon François Bernier. The places he visited are described in his book Travels in the Mughal Empire. He writes that he was “pursuing journey to a grotto full of wonderful congelations, two days journey from Sangsafed” when he “received intelligence that my Nawab felt very impatient and uneasy on account of my long absence.”

As stated in the introduction by Vincent A. Smith, the editor of the English translation of the book’s second edition, the “grotto” alludes to in this paragraph is the Amarnath cave. He states:

“The grotto full of wonderful congelations is the Amarnath cave, where blocks of ice, stalagmites formed by dripping water from the roof are worshipped by many Hindus who resort here as images of Shiva….”

Contemporary history

Pilgrims would initially make a quick stay at Kheer Bhawani in 1895. After receiving free food from the government, the pilgrims would proceed to Srinagar. The pilgrims would then ascend Lidder Valley from Srinagar in groups, making stops along the way for sacred baths.

Local Hindus would join them at Mach Bawan. During these years, the highway was maintained by the Maliks of Batkoot. In Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita describes Swami Vivekananda’s 1898 visit to the cave.

Yatra interruptions and reasons

2016: Unrest in Kashmir

In July 2016, the Amarnath pilgrimage was put on hold because of the violence in Kashmir. Later, several Shias and Sufis called for the Yatra to be resumed. Hasnain Baqai, a Sufi priest, and Kalbe Jawad, a Shia cleric and general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, voiced worry that the custom had been put on hold due to unrest in Kashmir.

2019: Potential for terrorist acts

August 2019 saw the pilgrimage put on hold when the state administration declared there to be a threat of terrorist strikes. In the same vein, the Machail Mata pilgrimage was put on hold. On the other hand, there was conjecture that the halting of the Yatra may have been connected to the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021

The COVID-19 epidemic caused the yearly pilgrimage to be canceled in 2020 and 2021. The COVID-19 outbreak in India has caused the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board to announce on April 22, 2020, that the Yatra would be suspended. However, it then said the suspension was lifted and deleted the news release.

A final decision, according to Lieutenant Governor G. C. Murmu, would rely on how the epidemic develops in the future. On July 4, the Union territory administration said that because to the epidemic, only 500 individuals would be allowed to drive to the shrine. Additionally, everyone entering Jammu and Kashmir would undergo a COVID-19 test and be placed in isolation until their results were negative.

Due to the pandemic, the pilgrimage was then postponed until July 21. Since July 1, there has been a significant increase in coronavirus infections in the union area. Online watching capabilities for the prayer ritual were provided.

On March 27, 2022, the shrine board agreed to bring back the pilgrimage after a two-year hiatus. It would begin on June 30 and run for forty-three days, all while adhering to COVID-19 prevention standards.

Legends

It is said that Amarnath was founded originally by Sage Bhrigu. It is thought that the Valley of Kashmir was submerged once, and Sage Kashyapa created a network of rivers and rivulets to drain it. Consequently, Bhrigu was the first to get the darshan of Shiva at Amarnath after the rivers drained.

After that, word spread about the lingam, and it was transformed into the home of Shiva for all devotees. Every year, thousands of pilgrims travel there as part of the Hindu month of Savan in July and August.

Shiva is said to have abandoned the bull Nandi near Pahalgam (Bail Gaon). He let go of the Moon from his hair (Jata) at Chandanwari. He let his snake go on the shores of Lake Sheshnag. He left his son Ganesha in Mahagunas Parvat (Mahaganesh Mountain).

Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Sky are the five elements that Shiva left behind at Panjtarni. Shiva danced the Tandava as a sign of giving up the material world. Finally, Shiva and Parvati entered the Amarnath Cave, where they both materialized as an ice lingam. Parvati turned into the yoni of granite and Shiva became the lingam of ice.

Routes and details for yatras (pilgrimage

Time of pilgrimage opening: July–August, when ice lingams are forming

During the 45-day period that surrounds the Shravani Mela celebration in July and August—which falls during the Hindu holy month of Shraavana—pilgrims visit the sacred location. During the summer months, when the ice-covered Shiva lingam reaches the peak of its waxing phase, people make the journey to Amarnath. The months of July through August are when most people make the trek. Pratham pujan, or the first prayer, signals the start of the yearly journey.

The amount of time that the pilgrimage is open is contingent upon the creation of iced lingam. For instance, the pilgrimage was open for business for 20 days in 1995. It stayed open for sixty days between 2004 and 2009. It stayed open for forty to sixty days in the next years. The Yatra was open for business in 2019 for 46 days, from July 1 until August 15.

State quotas, required e-tracking, and pre-registration for pilgrims

Pilgrims are assigned quotas based on the state and must pre-register months in advance. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and West Bengal make up the majority of the allocation.

Every pilgrim and vehicle on the pilgrim route is issued a unique wearable, traceable identification tag, which is scanned at numerous authorized locations to guarantee the pilgrims’ health and safety in case of emergency or calamity. As of 2019, pilgrims receive identity cards that are scanned at many sites to allow for their tracing during the trip. In a similar manner, the tags allow for the tracking of the cars, enabling the complete pilgrimage to be tracked.

Roads and Transportation

Srinagar International Airport is the closest airport. The closest railway stations are Anantnag for the southbound pilgrim route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari and Srinagar for the northbound pilgrim route via Baltal, both on the Jammu-Baramulla line.

The regular services between Jammu and Pahalgam and Baltal are offered by the State Road Transport Corporation and private transport companies. There are also cabs that can be booked privately from places like Jammu, Anantnag, Pahalgam, Srinagar, etc.

Helicopter flights from Chandanwari base camp to Panjtarni (6 km from the cave) are also offered by a number of private operators on the south route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari.

The 22 km long Chandanwari-Sangam Highway is a greenfield portion of the National Highway on the South Route that will connect the North and South Yatra routes via the highway tunnel. It is a part of NH501 and includes the 11 km long Khanabal-Baltal Tunnel (Sheshnag Tunnel) beneath the Mahaganus Top (Ganesh Top).

For the preparation of the DPR (detailed project report), which will take ten months to prepare, MoRTH’s NHIDCL invited vendors to submit RFPs by February 20, 2023. Following a two-month pre-construction phase, the construction will take five years, with a target completion date of March 31, 2029 (a total of six years).

Two primary paths

Near the holy cave, pilgrims go on two main, mostly motorized and partially foot-track routes: the longer, gentler, and busier 43 km Pahalgam-Chandanwari basecamp route, and the shorter, steeper 13 km northern route from Baltal Basecamp.

Route Pahalgam-Chandanwari, 43 km to the south

After overnight stops at Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni camps, the 43 km (27 mi) alpine journey from the Nunwan and Chandanwari basecamp in Pahalgam leads to the cave-shrine. From Pahalgam, the trip takes around five days.

The route begins in Pahalgam, on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, and travels 16 km to Chandanwari Basecamp (9,500 feet), 3 km to Pissu Top, 9 km to Zoji Bal-Naga Koti-Sheshnag (11,730 feet), 4.6 km to Waribal-Mahaguns Yop (Ganesh Top, 14,500 feet), 6 km to Pabibal-Panchtarni (22,729 feet)-Sangam (T-section for North route via Baltal), and 3 km to Amarnath Cave. Three to five days are needed to complete the entire foot track trip.

Once the NH501 Chandanwari-Baltal Highway, which includes the Khanabal-Baltal Tunnel (Sheshnag Tunnel) beneath the Mahaganus Top (Ganesh Top), is constructed, the road will be motorable all the way to Sangam (see the “Transport” section above). With the exception of the final 3 kilometers from Sangam to Amarnath cave, the whole road will be motorable when it is finished.

North route: Baltal route, 13 km

The distances are as follows: 2 km to Domail, 5 km to Barari, 4 km to Sangam (the T-section for the South route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari), and 3 km to Amarnath Cave. This route may be driven until Baltal, and the return trip via the Baltal-Amarnath footpath takes one to two days.

With the exception of the final 3 km from Sangam to Amarnath cave, the NH501 from Pahalgam-Chandanwari to Baltal—which includes the Sheshnag-Sangam tunnel beneath the Mahaguns Top (Ganesh Top)—will be accessible by car once it is finished.

Although this shorter route is only 14 km long, it is exceedingly challenging to climb due to its extremely steep grade. The path follows the Amarnath Valley, with views of the Amaravati River, a tributary of the Chenab River that rises from the Amarnath Glacier.

Awantipur-Pissu Top-Sheshnag-Panchtarni was the ancient route.

Shurahyar, Shivpora, Pandrethan, Pampore, Javati, Awantipur, Barsu, Jaubror, Belihar, Wagahama, Chakreshwar (Tsakdar), Hari Chandar, Sthalwat (Thajwor), Suryai Gohwat (Sriguphvara), Lambodari, Sirham, Bodrus, Bala Khelyan, Ganish, Mammaleshwar, Bhrigupati Kshetra, Nila Ganga, Pissu Hill (Pissu Top), Sheshnag, Wavjan, Panchtarni, and Amravati are among the places mentioned in Bhrigu’s Amarnath Mahatmya.

Mamleshwar and Naudal are traversed on the way back. The pilgrimage route’s routing has been changed in many places as a result of the construction of a driveable road; it is now known as the “South route”; refer to above.

Structure and Resources

Officially, the government and the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) work together to organize the Yatra. Throughout the Yatra season, a number of organizations give the essential amenities along the path, such as firewood, electricity, telecommunications, horses, and reasonably priced stores.

On the way to the cave, a number of non-governmental organizations have provided food supplies and free resting tents known as pandals for the pilgrims. Locals pitch hundreds of tents near the shrine, which may be rented for a night or two.

The 3000 yatri-capable Srinagar Pilgrimage Centre makes it easier for pilgrims to remain while they go for the sacred pilgrimage. In May 2022, the state government started building it.

Pilgrims’ Safety

Thousands of members of the state police and central armed forces are sent out annually to protect pilgrims from possible terrorist attacks. The soldiers are positioned on the shrine’s perimeter as well as at other stops. These include of state police, traffic police, NDRF/SDRF, BSF, ITBP, CRPF, and state police.

Yatra’s economic impact

By charging pilgrims a fee, the yatra provides the state government with income. Muslim Bakarwal-Gujjars in the area also support themselves by providing services to Hindu pilgrims. The extremist organizations who have often assaulted and tormented the yatra have put this source of revenue in jeopardy.

Number of pilgrims each year

From 12,000–20,000–30,000 in 1989 to over 400,000 in 2007, 634,000 in 2011, 622,000 in 2012, 350,000 in 2013, and 285,006 in 2018, the number of pilgrims each year has been steadily increasing.

Events

Deaths brought on by illnesses, mishaps, and calamities

In The Valley of Kashmir (1895), Sir Walter Roper Lawrence describes how the grueling pilgrimage journey afflicted the ill and frail, with many also dying of cholera. More than 500 pilgrims and animals perished in 1928 while traveling to the cave.

Forty pilgrims perished in a cloudburst in 1969. In the 1996 Amarnath Yatra disaster, exposure and weariness claimed the lives of 243 pilgrims. A car accident in July of 2012 claimed the lives of twelve pilgrims.

At the pilgrimage, a communal kitchen had been established by a group of pilgrims. In 2015, a cloudburst near Baltal caused three fatalities and several injuries.

130 Yatra pilgrims perished in 2012 out of a total of 622,000 pilgrims. The main causes of the Yatra’s demise were those who weren’t physically prepared for the strenuous ascent, high altitudes, and unfavorable weather.

Before arriving at the base camp where the yatra begins, some people unfortunately lost their lives in traffic accidents. Of the 130 fatalities, 42 were in car crashes and 88 were allegedly caused by health issues.

A JKSRTC bus carrying pilgrims from Jammu city to Pahalgam as part of an Amarnath Yatra convoy plunged into a 150-foot deep chasm near the Nachlana region of Jammu’s Ramban district at 1:45 pm on July 16, 2017, leaving 18 pilgrims dead and several more gravely hurt.

Two of the pilgrims eventually passed away from their wounds, leaving 16 dead on the scene. Less than a week had passed since a terrorist attack on a bus transporting pilgrims from Gujarat on the Amarnath Yatra claimed several lives.

Many pilgrims were carried away by flash floods caused by a localized cloudburst at the holy cave shrine on July 8, 2022, at around 5:30 p.m. At least fifteen pilgrims are said to have perished in the tragedy.

Manoj Sinha, the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, said that the families of the fifteen pilgrims who perished in the flash floods will receive compensation of Rs 5 lakh apiece.

Attacks, threats, and massacres

The first threat directed at pilgrims to Amarnath occurred in 1993; Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Ansar had declared a ban on the event since the Babri Masjid had been demolished the year before. Nonetheless, the trek was largely uneventful.

In 1994, 1995, and 1998, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen organization threatened the pilgrims with “serious consequences” and put what it called a “ban” on the yatra; yet, the pilgrimage went on.

Massacre during the 2000 pilgrimage

In Pahalgam, militants assaulted the Nunwan base camp on August 2, 2000. In a two-hour indiscriminate shooting spree, thirty-two persons were slain, including three security force personnel, seven unarmed Muslim citizens, and twenty-one unarmed Hindu pilgrims.

The majority of the deceased included pilgrims, porters, and horsemen who transported pilgrims. This incident was a part of the wider August 1–2, 2000, Kashmir massacre, which consisted of five distinct, well-planned terrorist operations that left at least 62 persons injured and between 89–105 dead (official tally, according to PTI). The assassinations were attributed to Lashkar-e-Taiba by Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

2001 Massacre

At least 13 people, including three women, were murdered in two explosions and by militant shooting on July 20, 2001, when a terrorist hurled a grenade into a pilgrim night camp at Sheshnag, close to the Amarnath shrine. Two of the victims were security officers, while the other three were Muslim civilians. The assault also injured fifteen more people.

2002 massacre

Terrorists from al-Mansuriyan, a front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba, slaughtered two and nine pilgrims and injured three and twenty-seven others in two different events on July 30, 2002, and August 6, 2002, respectively, in Srinagar and close to the Nunwan pilgrimage base camp.

Yatra Attack of 2017

On July 10, eight Hindu pilgrims were shot down as they were leaving Amarnath. The group deemed to be accountable was Lashkar-e-Taiba from Pakistan.

Disputes

2008 dispute around land transfers

The government of India and the state administration of Jammu and Kashmir came to an agreement on May 26, 2008, to provide the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) 100 acres (0.40 km2) of forest land so that they could erect makeshift shelters and amenities for Hindu visitors.

Separatists from Kashmir said that the action would violate Article 370, which grants the people of Jammu and Kashmir a distinct identity and forbids any Indian citizen from relocating there.

Widespread demonstrations against this decision by the Indian government were organized in Kashmir. The J&K State administration gave in to public pressure and decided to revoke the land transfer decision. Hindus in the Jammu area therefore started counter-agitations against this retreat.

Effects on the Environment

Environmentalists are worried that the Amarnath Yatra’s popularity is harming the ecosystem of the region, and some are in favor of government-mandated caps on the number of pilgrims who are allowed to complete the journey.

Nevertheless, no research has been done and no environmental impact assessment has been completed. The Indian government only imposes restrictions on tourists based on weather, yatra timing, and logistical considerations.

Tax dispute at Amarnath Cave Temple Yatra

In 2010, the Jammu and Kashmiri government released a notification under the State Motor Vehicle Taxation Act 1957, mandating that cars traveling to the Amarnath Yatra pay ₹ 2,000 in taxes for the first seven days and ₹ 2,000 each day thereafter.

Similar arrangements were implemented for pilgrims visiting Sri Mata Vaishno Devi, who must pay ₹ 2000 for a three-day period. The largest political party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party, voiced its outrage at the admission charge and demanded that the central government, which was then led by the United Progressive Alliance, order the Jammu and Kashmir dispensation to stop attempting to “discriminate” amongst religious adherents.

A judgment that was “reminiscent of Jizya imposed during [the] Mughal period on Hindus” was criticized by the BJP.

S. S. Palanimanickam, the former minister of state for finance, clarified in response to a question in the Lok Sabha that taxes are imposed on all India Tourist Vehicles entering the state and that it is therefore untrue to claim that the government of Jammu & Kashmir is imposing extra taxes on vehicles traveling to Amarnath and Vaishno Devi.

Additionally, he stated that the Indian Constitution’s seventh schedule governs the taxation of motor vehicles, and the federal government is unable to order the state governments to alter their car tax rates.

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