A Pilgrims Guide to the Holy Land of Amarnath
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Located at an altitude of 3,880 m in the southern Kashmir Himalayas, Amarnath is considered to be one of the holiest pilgrimages of the Hindus. One of the most worshipped deities is the Lord Shiva. People from all over the world come here to pay homage to Lord Shiva and the Ice Shiva Lingam inside the holy cave of Amarnath. The snow clad mountains surrounding the region produce a jaw dropping scenic beauty. According to the myth; "Amar Katha" (the secret of eternal life) was narrated by Lord Shiv to his beautiful wife, Goddess Parvati on a Shravan (full moon) day. There were two pigeons who were also present and overheard Lord Shiva narrating Amar Katha. So when the Goddess Parvati dozed off during the narration, these two pigeons attained immortality. This is how the holy place got its name Amarnath from and these two pigeons can be seen inside the cave every year on the full moon day of Shravan.
The Amarnath tour packages can be possible only during the wet monsoon months of July and August. A mass of ice is formed inside the cave on which the water trickles in a mysterious fashion from the top of the cave. This pile of mass then begins to form into the Shiv Lingham and keeps rising till it has fully acquired the shape of the Lingham on a full moon night.
Without proper registration and submission of the medical certificates, a pilgrim won't be allowed to proceed any further in the Amarnath Tour. The last 24 km of the Amarnath Yatra have to be traveled on foot. Adequate measures have been taken to make it a not-so-torturous experience.
Choppers are also provided to the physically handicapped or the elderly who want to pay homage to this holy shrine.A lot of new means of transportation are coming up for the convenience of the travelers. These helicopters are available almost every day except for on bad weather conditions. These helicopters are operational between Baltal and Amarnath or Srinagar and Amarnath making the trip a comfortable one to the sacred shrine. Srinagar has regular flights from Delhi, Jammu, and other important cities of India. Various online flights booking India portals along with an airlines website directly can be used to book flights to Srinagar. One has to drive down to Baltal after reaching Srinagar for the chopper ride to Amarnath. One can also check into Shri Amarnath Shrine Board Huts for an overnight stay from where the helipad is just a short walk away. The Amarnath Yatra is a soulful and spiritual experience for the many pilgrims who travel to the shrine.
Category Article Amarnath, Guide, Pilgrims
