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The
Himalayan pilgrimages are the oldest organised travel system,
evolved over time by Hindu sages and embodying the spirit of
wander, adventure and spirituality"
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 One of the holy
trinity, Shiva is a living god. The most ancient 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 his 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 both for "he was the wild god sporting in the forest or taking
his ease on a cloud."
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 abode. Many pilgrims report seeing
the pigeons-pair when they trek the arduous route to pay obeisance
before the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).
The trek to
Amarnathji, in the month of Shravan (July - August) 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 - stalagmite, and which waxes and
wanes with the moon. By its side are, fascinatingly, two more ice -
lingams, that of Parvati and of their son, Ganesha.
According to an
ancient tale, there was once a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik who was
given a sack of coal by a sadhu. Upon reaching home he discovered that
the sack, in fact, contained gold. Overjoyed and overcome, Buta Malik
rushed back to look for the sadhu and thank him, but on the spot of
their meeting discovered a cave, and eventually this became a place of
pilgrimage for all believers. To date, a percentage of the donations
made by pilgrims are given to the descendants of Malik, and the
remaining to the trust which manages the shrine.
Yet another
legend has it that when Kashap Reshi drained the Kashmir valley of water
(it was believed to have been a vast lake), the cave and the lingam were
discovered by Bregish Reshi who was travelling the Himalayas. When
people heard of the lingam, Amarnathji for them became Shiva's abode and
a centre of pilgrimage.
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The Yatra
Procession
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Whatever the
legends and the history of Amarnathji's discovery, it is today a very
important centre of pilgrimage and though the route is as difficult to
negotiate as it is exciting, every year, thousands of devotees come to
pay homage before Shiva in one of his famous Himalayan abodes.
Situated in a
narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder valley, Amarnathji stands at
3,888 m and is 45 km from Pahalgam and 141 km from Srinagar. Though the
original pilgrimage subscribes that the yatra be undertaken from
Srinagar, the more common practice is to begin the journey from Pahalgam,
and cover the distance to Amarnathji and back in four or five days.
Pahalgam is 96 km 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 Government takes the
assistance of the security departments for providing security and
helping to keep the route open. All intermediate halting places have the
same kind of facilities as are provided at Pahalgam, and a Yatra
Officer is appointed to conduct the pilgrimage.
Trek:
Pahalgam To Amarnath
Cave Via Mahagunas Pass
Main Trek Base:
Altitude: 4,175m (13,700ft).
Alternative Trek: Sonamarg To Amarnath
During the yatra, stages of the walk are carefully controlled by the
Indian authorities. The first stage of the trek is to Chandanwadi, the
second to Sheshnag and the third over the Mahagunas Pass to Panchtami.
Many pilgrims visit the cave from Panchtami and return to Sheshnag the
same day, walking back to Pahalgam on the fifth day.
Day
1: Pahalgam To Chandanwadi
(Average walking time 4 hours)
The trail leaves Pahalgam on a bitumen road, past the Shankar temple and
along the east Liddar valley. The trail is easy to follow indeed it is
suitable for jeeps as far as Chandanwadi (2,900m). There are many
obvious short cuts on the route, and a number of tea stalls, as this
first Day always seems to be quite hot. The campsite is in a pleasant
glade just before the main line of tea stalls.
Day 2: Chandanwadi To Sheshnag
(Average walking time 5 to 6 hours)
From Chandanwadi the trail winds steeply for 500m to the summit of ridge
known as Pisu Top (3,390m). From here, there are commanding views back
down the valley to the mountains beyond Pahalgam. During the main
pilgrimage, the tea stall owners do a thriving business, which keeps the
pilgrims going on the long incline to the next main resting area at
Wawajana (3,550m). From here it is two to three km further to Sheshnag
(3,720m). The glacial lake is set in remarkable surroundings, its waters
reflecting the snow capped peaks of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Rumour
among pilgrims has it that the lake is inhabited by a serpent of Loch
Ness monster proportions, so it's advisable not to camp too close to the
water's edge.
Day 3: Sheshnag To Panchtarni
(Average walking time 6 hours)
The trail gradually ascends from Sheshnag with magnificent views of the
mountains immediately above. The ascent towards the Mahagunas Pass winds
up to a grassy plateau, and from there on to the pass it is a further
hour's climb. The sign at the top of the pass states the height as
4,270m. It is not a dramatic pass, but it is still no mean achievement
for the pilgrims, many of whom have never been beyond the Indian plains
before.
The descent to Panchtarni (3,450m) is quite long and tiring, but there
are frequent flowered meadows to rest in and admire. The campsite can be
seen from afar; and behind, on a further ridge, the bare, treeless
mountainscape resembles the terrain on the far side of the Himalayas.
There are more spacious campsites upstream from the main camping area,
and these are also a little cleaner.
Day 4: Panchtarni To Amarnath Cave & Return
(Average walking time 5 hours return)
 The
actual time to the cave will depend on whether one's trek coincides with
the main pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage an early start is essential,
with many of the pilgrims move more steadily and slowly than on the rest
of the trek, as if in awe of their surroundings.
The climb to the Singh Pass (3,850m) is gradual before the trail enters
the Amarnath valley. It descends to a permanently blackened snow bridge,
which fords the Amarvati stream before ascending the true right back to
the base of the mountain. From here the final ascent is up a series of
concrete steps to the entrance to the Amarnath Cave (4,050m). The
J&K police manning the entrance to the cave only permit a limited
number of pilgrims inside at any one time.
Day 5: Panchtarni To Chandanwadi
(Average walking time 8 hours)
Many pilgrims return from Panchtarni to Chandanwadi in one day. After
completing their pilgrimage to the cave most are happy to trek as far as
they can the following Day.
Day 6: Chandanwadi To Pahalgam
(Average walking time 4 hours)
On the final Day most pilgrims arrive back in the Pahalgam bazaar with
enough time to complete the drive to Srinagar or Jammu the same day.
ALTERNATE TREK:
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SONAMARG
AMARNATH
Although the traditional yatra trek to the Amarnath cave is from
Pahalgam one can also go there from Sonamarg.
Day 1: Sonamarg-Baltal
This 15-km trek takes about five hours and it's an easy walk since there
is little altitude change between Sonamarag and Baltal. One should be
able to get a lift on a truck to the roadblock, from there on it is
better to walk. The roadblock is closed until noon or later, waiting for
traffic to come across the Zoji la from Ladakh. From the roadblock one
can walk along the river valley track, which is very pleasant. The river
valley track is also 2 to 3-km shorter than the vehicle road. A military
camp is the first sign of Baltal, which can be reached in a day from
Srinagar.
Day 2: Baltal-Amarnath
The 15-km trek to Amarnath climbs over a thousand metres from Baltal at
2,743 metres to the cave at 4,175 metres and the walk takes about nine
to 10 hours. The route crosses one major snow bridge over a river and
climbs steadily up, crossing the Satsing pass, 3 ½-km before Amarnath,
at 4,115 metres dropping down and then climbing up again to the cave at
4,175 metres. There are some tea stalls along the way, even at the
river, and after the junction with the main trail there are even more.
From Amarnath one can follow the traditional yatra trail down to
Pahalgam.
Option:
Amarnath to Baltal & Sonamarg from the Amarnath cave return
along the pilgrim trail as far as the junction of the Panchtarni and
Amarvati rivers. Here the trails divert, with the track to Baltal
heading down the true right of the valley. The trail is prone to rock
avalanches where it traverses large scree slopes and one should be wary
of descending without first checking its condition. If there are no
problems, the trek to Baltal can be completed in about four hours.
GETTING
AWAY
Road: From
Baltal there is a regular bus service during the pilgrimage period,
getting back to Srinagar that night. At other times, camp at Baltal and
continue to Sonamarg at a more leisurely pace the following morning.
From Sonamarg there are three buses a day to Srinagar and the drive
takes around five hours.
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