Amarnath Yatra is one
of the well known Yatra devoted to the Lord
Shiva or Mahadev located at the height of around four thousand
meters on the Amar Nath Mountain in Jammu & Kashmir. The Yatra
of Amarnath is popular pilgrimage site for Hindus from the old
days which is reported to be around 5000 years old. About
400,000 faithful devotees make their Yatra to Amarnath every
year during the festival of Shravan Mela in June to August.There
are several mythological stories related to Amarnath Yatra.
According to one of the mythological tales of Amarnath, it is
here in the cave of Amarnath Lord Shiva revealed the secrets of
immortality to his wife Parvati and therefore that place was
named Amreshwar and has become the a sanctuary of Hindu
community. Amarnath Yatra attracted the tourists mainly for the
Darshan of ice Shiva Linga along with two other ice formations
representing Shri Ganesh and Mata Parvati.
Yatra via : -
Baltal
This beautiful meadow is right at the foot
of the Zoji La pass and thus is the final place in Kashmir. The
river from the foot of the Amarnath glacier meets the Indus near
Baltal. It stands at a height of 2,743m and during the Amarnath
pilgrimage there are tents set up here. It is possible to walk
to the Amarnath cave, more usually approached from Pahalgam, in
one day. Check about conditions before departing, though. The
weather can be treacherous and at other times melting snow and
ice make the route very dangerous. There's now a jeep road most
of the way to the cave. The turn off to Baltal is at 94-km on
the Leh road, and then it's 3-km or so downhill.
Baltal to Holy Cave
From Baltal Holy Cave is just 14 Kms.
This distance can be covered by foot / Ponies. However, Dandies
are also available for handicapped
and old aged pilgrims.
The width of the pebbled (kuchha) road is a bit narrow as
compared to the Chandanwari-Holy Cave route, moreover , there
are some steep rises & falls on the way , as compared to the
Chandanwari route, but pilgrims can return back to base camp
Baltal through this route only in one day.
Chandanwari & Passage To The Amarnath Yatra
Situated 16-km from Pahalgam, Chandanwari is the starting point
of the Amarnath Yatra, which takes place every year in the month
of Sawan (Rain). The destination is the Amarnath Cave, believed
to the abode of Lord Shiva. Although the road from Pahalgam to
Chandanwari is on fairly flat terrain,
and can be undertaken by car, from Chandanwari onwards the track
becomes much steeper, being accessible on foot or by pony.
Located 11-km from Chandanwari is the mountain lake of Sheshnag,
after which 13-km away is the last stop, Panchtarni. The
Amarnath cave is 6-km away from there. During the month of 'Sawan',
an ice stalagmite forms a natural Shivling (also spelt as
Shivlinga), which waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon.
How
to Reach
Air:
The nearest aerodrome is Srinagar. Srinagar is a beautiful
valley having world famous sights to see, such as Dal Lake,
Nagina Lake, Shankaracharya Temple, Mughal Gardens and what not.
It is the most sought after tourist place. It is also known as
"Paradise on earth". Srinagar is summer capital of Jammu &
Kashmir. There are daily flights to Srinagar from Delhi and
Jammu. On some week days flights also pickup passengers from
Chandigarh and Amritsar .
Rail:
Jammu is the nearest Railway Station . Jammu is winter Capital
of Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu is a beautiful city and is also known
as "CITY OF TEMPLES". One may visit old temples such as
Raghunath Temple , Mahadev Mandir and other temples . It is well
connected with all stations of India.The various trains coming
to Jammu are listed here below.
Road:
Jammu and Srinagar are also connected through road. Buses and
Taxies are also available for this part of the journey .These
can be hired on daily as well as full tour basis. |
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