The Himalayas pilgrimages are the oldest organized travel system, evolved over time by Hindi sages and embodying the spirit
of wander, adventure and spirituality”
Shiva in the form of a lingam, is formed naturally of an ice – stalagmite. One of the holy trinity Shiva is a
living good. The most ancients and sacred book of India the rig Veda evokes his presence in its hymns Vedic myths ritual
and even astronomy testify to his existence from the dawn of time
Shiva is known to have made this home in the Himalayas. He built no house nor shelter, not for himself or his bride .he was
an ascetic, and yet married; he could be bouth for “he was the wiled god sporting in the forest or taking his ease on
a cloud “
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Legend has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in the
Amarnathji cave. Unknown to them, a pair of mating pigeons eavesdropped on this conversation and having learned the secret, are
reborn again and again, and have made the cave their eternal adobe. Many pilgrims report seeing the pigeonspair when they
trek the arduous route to pay obeisance before the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).
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| Yatra arrangements at pahalgam/baltal |
The trek to amarnathji in the month of shravan has the devout flock to this incredible shrine, where the image
of shiva in the form of a lingam, is formed naturally of an ice – stalagmint and which waxes and wanes with the moon. By
its side are, fascinatingly, two more ice lingams that of parvati and of their son ganesh
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| The yatra procession |
Whatever the legends and the history of amrnathaji discovery, it is today a very important center of pilgrimage
and though the route is as difficult to negotiate as it is exciting, very year , thousands of devotees come to pay homage before
shiva in one of his famous Himalayas abodes
Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of ladder valley, amrnathji stands at 3,888 m and is 45 km from phalgam and 141
km from srinagar. Though the original pilgrimage subscriber that the yatra be undertaken from srinagar, that more common practice
is to begin the joinery from pahlagam, and cover tah distance to amarnathji and block in four or five days . phalgam is 96 from srinagar
Since the base point for the pilgrim’s trek is picturesque pahalgam, a large tented township springs up to accommodate the pilgrims. The
conduct of the yatra is a gigantic task in which the state governments take the assistance of the security departments for providing security
and helping to keep the route open. All intermediated halting places have the same kind of facilities as are provide at pahalgam and a yatra
officer is appointed to conduct the pilgrimage |