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30/03/22 12:45 PM IST

Amarnath Yatra

In News 
  • After being suspended for two years due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the 43-day Amarnath pilgrimage in the Himalayas of South Kashmir will begin on June 30 this year.
About Amarnath yatra 
  • According to legend, when Lord Shiva decided to tell Parvati the secret of his immortality (Amar Katha), he chose the Amarnath cave deep in the Himalayas in South Kashmir.
  • The cave is situated 3,888 metres above sea level, and can be reached only on foot or by pony.
  • Pilgrims travel 46 km from Pahalgam or 16 km from Baltal along a steep, winding mountain trail.
  • This is the place where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati.
  • The Amarnath temple is one of 18 Maha Shakti Peethas, that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.
Historical Background
  • According to lore, the cave was discovered by a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik in 1850.
  • Malik was high up in the mountains with his herd of animals, when a Sufi saint gave him a bagful of coal.
  • After he returned home, Malik opened the bag, and found it to be full of gold.
  • The ecstatic and overwhelmed shepherd ran to the mountains to thank the saint, but he could not find him.
  • What he found instead, was the cave, and its famous ice lingam.
  • The ice lingam, representing Lord Shiva, is formed by a trickle of water from a cleft in the roof of the cave.
Source-Indian Express

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