Amarnath Yatra: History, legend of this shrine up in the mountains

What is the history of the Amarnath shrine, and what are the mythological legends around it? We explain.

Legend of the Amarnath temple

According to Hindu mythology, Amarnath is called so because this is where Lord Shiva revealed the secret of immortality (amaratva in Sanskrit), to his consort Goddess Parvati. Because the ‘amar katha’, the tale of immortality, was narrated here, the cave came to be called Amarnath. Amaresha and Amareshvara are other names associated with the place.

It is believed that since the ‘amar katha’ was not meant to be heard by everyone, Shiva and Parvati travelled to this remote cave. On the way, Lord Shiva left his mount, the bull Nandi, at Pahalgam. At Chandanwari, he released Moon, who resides in his hair. At the banks of the Sheshnag lake, he left behind his snakes. All these places are pit stops in the Amarnath Yatra today.

However, despite these precautions, two pigeons overheard the story, and became immortal. Even today, spotting pigeons at the shrine is considered auspicious.

The linga at Amarnath is considered swayambhu, which means it manifested on its own and wasn’t placed there by human hands.

History of the Amarnath temple

A shrine at the site seems to have existed for centuries. Kalhana’s chronicle of Kashmir, Rajtarangini, written in the 12th century CE, mentions Amarnath at least twice. In Book VII, verses 183 and 185, speaking of Queen Suryamati, the wife of King Ananta (1028 to 1063 CE), say: “In the name of her brother, known as Sillana, and of her husband the righteous lady built two monasteries in the vicinity of Vijayesa and Amareśa respectively…In the name of her husband, in Amareśvara also she bestowed Agrahāras and provided for the endowments of Triśūla, Bāņalinga, and the like.” (English translation by RS Pandit)

In Book I, verse 267, speaking of the Naga Sushruvas, says, “Gleaming like the ocean of milk a lake was constructed by him on a distant mountain [believed to be a reference to the Sheshnag lake], which on their way to the pilgrimage of Amaranatha, is visited by people to this very day.”

The shivlinga at Amarnath temple is a stalagmite. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

, which are basically structures that rise from the floor of a cave as drippings from the ceiling accumulate. Here, as water drops from the ceiling and freezes, an icy shivling has formed. Lord Amarnath, thus, is also called Baba Barfani.

The ice structure changes with the seasons, and it is believed that the linga waxes and wanes with the moon.

“The Amarnath shrine occupies a special place in the heart of Hindus, specially for Kashmiri pandits. The significance of the place is narrated in an ancient work called Amreshwar Mahatamya. Today, the government makes arrangements for the trip, but earlier, pilgrims made the arduous journey sustained only by devotion. It is believed the yatra brings spiritual credit and destroys the negative effects of sins,” Utpal Kaul, a historian from Kashmir, told The Indian Express.

At some point, pilgrimage to the cave seems to have stopped and the cave was believed lost.

A popular story is about the ‘rediscovery’ of the cave in the 1850s by a Muslim shepherd, Buta Malik. According to the story, a saint gave Buta Malik a bag full of coal. When he reached home, Malik found the bag to be full of gold instead of coal. Overjoyed, he rushed back to thank the saint, only to find the saint gone, and the holy cave with the linga at the spot.

Koul said, “The cave never disappeared. Pilgrimage to it, however, was severely curtailed during the Muslim rule. Once Kashmir came under the Dogra dynasty, founded by Gulab Singh, the cave was promptly ‘rediscovered’.”