[Reader-list] History of the cave temple of Sri Amarnath

[Aditya Raj Kaul]

*History of the cave temple of Sri Amarnath
**By Chaman Lal Gadoo*
Link-

http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=252&page=22

Pandit Kalhan describes in verse 267 of Rajatarangini, "The lake of dazzling
whiteness (resembling) a sea of milk, which he created (for himself as
residence) on a far-off mountain, is to present day seen by the people on
the pilgrimage to Amreshvara."

Pandit Kalhan, the greate historian-poet completed in AD 1150 his immortal
work of 7,844 verses, Rajatarangini (River of Kings), the history of ancient
Kashmir in a detailed manner. According to Rajatarangini, the most famous
pilgrimage in Kashmir is the cave of Amarnath and it mentions that King Ram
Deva is stated to have imprisoned the debauch King Sukh Deva and to have
drowned him in the Lambodheri (Lidder) among the mountains of Amarnath about
1000 BC. It also mentions in Tarang II, Samdimat (Arya Raja) 34BC-17AD, a
great devotee of Shiva who rose from the position of a minister to be the
king of Kashmir, "used to worship a linga of snow above the forests, which
is not to be found elsewhere in the world during the delightful Kashmir
summers." It further states in verse 267 that Shushram Naga (Sheshnag) is
seen to this day (i.e. 1148-49 AD) by pilgrims proceeding to Amreshvara."

As per ancient literature, devotees of Lord Shiva from time immemorial
worshiped cave temple of Amarnath. It is recorded that Himalayan caves have
been abode of celestial beings and great sages used to meditate for hundreds
of years in these caves. It is also recorded that the Himalayan mountain
range especially the northern range is indeed the first and the sublimest
symbol of divinity. "Of the mountains, I am the Himalaya", says Lord Krishna
in the Bhagwat Gita. Someone asked Swami Vivekananda, "Why have we so many
Gods and Goddesses?" He promptly replied, "Because we have Himalaya." The
music of the Himalayan streams brought divine feelings to the seers. The
rushing streams fall like thunder with the sound of vyom, vyom on the rocks
and flow out in frightening speed with the sound hara, hara.

Probably Adi Shankara, inspired by snow clad Himalayan peaks and ice lingam
of Shiva at cave temple of Amarnath wrote of Shiva; "Oh, Shiva, Thy body is
white, white is Thy smile, the human skull in Thy hand is white. Thy axe,
Thy bull, Thy earrings, all is white. The Ganga flowing out in foams from
your matted locks is white. The crescent moon on Thy brow is white. O,
all-white Shiva, give us the boon of complete sinlessness in our lives."

Swami Vivekananda wrote about Shiva of Amarnath:

*For whom all gloom and darkness have dispersed,
That radiant light, white beautiful,
As bloom of lotus white is beautiful,
Whose laughter loud sheds knowledge luminous.*

The worship of the linga according to Vivekananda was originated from the
famous hymn in the Atharvaveda Samhita sung in praise of the Yupa-Stambha
which represented the 'Eternal Brahman'. The fire, the smoke, the ashes,
flames, the blackwood and the ox connected with this Vedic sacrifice gave
place to the conceptions of brightness of Shiva's body. His tawny
matted-hair, His blue throat and the riding on the bull of Shiva and so
on—just so the Yupa-Stambha gave place to the Shiva linga and was deified as
the high Devahood of Sri Shankara…. In the Linga-Purana the same hymn is
expanded in the stories meant to establish the glory of the great Stambha
and the superiority of Mahadeva."

In ancient scriptures, it is recorded that Maharishi Bhrigu was the first
person to sight and identify the cave temple of Sri Amarnath where Lord
Shiva had narrated the secret of amartav to his consort Parvati and got
himself transformed into ice lingam on Sharavan Purnamashi. This sacred day
falls every year on the night of the full moon in the month of Sawan
(July-August) on Shrawan Purnamashi, when sun is in Leo (Singha rashi) and
moon (Chandrama) in Aquarius (Kumb) rashi, this yoga makes the Shiva lingam
darshan very auspicious. A pair of snow pigeons over heard Shiva's discourse
and became immortal. Thus Amarnath, the Lord of Immortality and
Deathlessness became Amreshvara!"

On August 2, 1898 Swami Vivekananda had darshan of Amarnath. When he entered
the shrine, a profound mystical experience came to him and latter he said,
'Shiva Himself had appeared before him'. He further said; "The ice lingam
was Shiva Himself. It was all worship there. I never enjoyed any religious
place so much, so beautiful, so inspiring."

Swami Ramatirtha, on having a glimpse of 'Amareshwara Linga' uttered in
ecstasy an Urdu couplet, which means, "Where ice is bedecked in formless
movement, There stands supreme-consciousness as Amar Linga"

The cave temple is located in South Kashmir at an altitude 12,720 ft about
140 kms from Srinagar. The huge natural cave is about 25 meters high and
enough to hold hundreds of devotees where a self-forming 'ice lingam' waxes
and wanes with moon. The holy cave is 50 ft. long 25 ft. wide and 15ft. high
approximately. The cave is nature's temple where ice lingam is completely
filling the right corner of the cave, the top of the lingam touches the base
of the cave. The base of the cave is also covered with ice, like a carpet.
Here Shiva is worshipped by nature in the purest way. Shiva is snow-white
and pure. Lingam is formed by drops of water falling from the top of the
cave and two other small 'ice lingams,' are also formed, believed to be the
symbols of Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha. The dripping that followed from
the feet of ice lingam or Shiva lingam took form of a stream known as
Amuravati. According to Bhrngish Samhita a person who bathes in the waters
of Amuravati and rubs himself with the ashes gets moksha. Recitation from
the Vedas and hymns pertaining to the deities and mantra chanting are made
individually and collectively by devotees inside the cave temple. Kashmiri
Pandits usually recite:

Om namah Sambhavaya cha, mayo bhavaya cha, namah Sankaraya cha, mayas Karaya
cha,

*Namah Shivaya cha, Shivtaraya cha.
We offer our salutations to Thee——the Giver of Happiness.
We offer our Salutations to Thee——the Auspiciousness.
We offer our salutations to Thee the Bestower of Bliss and still greate
Bliss.*

Pandit Kalhan describes in verse 267 of Rajatarangini, "The lake of dazzling
whiteness (resembling) a sea of milk, which he created (for himself as
residence) on a far off mountain, is to present day seen by the people on
the pilgrimage to Amreshvara."

Francios Bernier was the French physician who accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb
to Kashmir in 1663. He has mentioned about cave temple, "a magnificent cave
full of wonderful congelations".

Vigne in his book, Travels in Kashmir, Ladakh and Iskardu, (1842) says, "The
ceremony at the cave of Amarnath takes place on the 15th of the month of
Sawan (28th July)….not only Hindoos of Kashmir but those from Hindoostan of
every rank and caste can be seen, collecting together and traveling up the
valley of Lider towards the celebrated cave." Lawrence mentions in Valley of
Kashmir, "Pilgrims to Amarnath were joined by Brahmins of Mattan and further
up to Batkot the Maliks used to take charge of the pilgrimage. "On the night
of the 11th day of the bright fortnight of Sawan (July-August) all pilgrims
assemble at Pahalgam. Swami Vivekananda describes the on going pilgrimage
as, "The procession of several thousands of pilgrims in far-away cave of
Amarnath, nestled in a glacial gorge of the Western Himalayas, through some
of the most charming scenery in the world, is fascinating in the extreme.

It strikes one with wonderment to observe the quiet and orderly way in which
a canvas town springs up in some valley with incredible rapidity at each
halting place with its bazaars and broad streets running through the middle
and vanishing as quickly at the break of dawn, when the whole army of gay
pilgrims are on their march once more for the day. Then again the glow of
the countless cooking-fires, the ashes covered Sadhus under the canopy of
their large geru (orange) umbrellas pitched in the ground, sitting and
discussing or meditating before their dhunies (fire), the Sannyasis of all
order in their various garbs, the men and women with children from all parts
of the country in their characteristic costumes, and their devout faces, the
torches shimmering at night fall, the blowing of conch-shells and horns, the
singing of hymns and prayers in chorus, all these and many other romantic
sights and experiences of a pilgrimage, which can be met with nowhere
outside India, are most impressive and convey to some extent an idea of the
overmastering passion of the race for religion. Of the psychological aspect
and significance of such pilgrimage, done on foot for days and days, much
could be written. Suffice it to says that it is one of those ancient
institutions which have above all, kept the fire of spirituality burning in
the hearts of the people. One sees here the very soul of the Hindu nation
laid bare in all its innate beauty and sweetness of faith and devotion."

According to Amreshvara Mahatmaya some of the important places where
pilgrims had to perform ablutions while on pilgrimage were Anantnag, Mach
Bhawan (Mattan), Ganeshbal (Ganeshpora, 6800ft) Mamleshwara (name of Lord
Shiva), (Mamal, 7300ft), Nilganga, Chandanwari, Shusshram Naga (Sheshnag),
the pilgrims have to cross at Vayujana (Vowjan), from Lidar to Sind valley,
then to Panjtarni, and finally to Amuravati. Now-a-days the journey starts
from Pahalgam (7500ft). The next halt which is at Chandanwari (8500ft) is 10
kms away. The old name of the place is 'Sthanuashrama'. 'Sthanu' is an
epithet of Shiva and literally it means 'a pollard'. Lord Shiva sat in
samadhi like a pollard in the lap of Himalaya where Deodar grew. From
Chandanwari to Pisu Ghati (12200ft) is steep hill of 2kms and then 7kms.
away is Sheshnag (13148ft), the next halting point. The Sheshnag Lake is
25sq.kmrs. In area, is fed by the Kohenhar glacier (5178 mtrs.), which looks
like hood of a cobra. The milky-water of the lake is seen just 200mts down
in a trough-shaped basin. The mountain around Sheshnag is covered with snow
and it has seven peaks which resemble the seven heads of mythical Sheshnag.
>From Sheshnag to Panchatarni (12230 ft) is about 7 kms. In between is 5kms
climb to Maha-gunas, the highest peak in the whole track. This is the last
halting place for pilgrims. From Panchatarni the holy cave (12729ft) is 6
kms. Panchatarni is a wide plain among the mountain ranges, where five
streams flow side by side. Going across these streams there is the sixth
stream in which pilgrims perform shraddha.

The whole Amarnath pilgrimage procession is conducted under the auspices of
Chhari Maharaj. Bringesha Samhita records, that Rishi was once approached by
the people praying to show them the path to salvation. The sage advised them
to take pilgrimage to cave temple of Amarnath and pray to Shiva lingam. To
ensure safe journey to cave temple, Bringesha Rishi prayed to Lord Shiva,
and was graced with Holy mace pair. Ever since this became symbol of
protection for the yatris and has now taken the form of Chhari- Maharaj——the
holy mace, and leads the annual yatra. The Chhari generally used to leave
after performing the puja at Dashnami Akhara (Srinagar) on the 4th day of
the bright fortnight of Sawan. During Sikh rule in Kashmir 'Chhari Maharaj'
used to start from Amritsar, during Dogra rule from Srinagar and now after
the exile of Kashmiri Pandits from valley it is from Jammu. The Mahants who
wield the divine command of holy place carry the two holy maces and when the
Mahant after the prayers at the cave temple takes his seat a Sadhu holding
one of the mace stands on his right and other on his left.

Despite the terrorist activities in Kashmir targeting yatra and inclement
weather large number of pilgrims throng to holy cave temple of Sri Amarnath
year after year.