Amarnath
Amarnath ( Hindi अमरनाथ ), also called Shiva's cave , is a pilgrimage site of the Hindus in the north Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the Himalayan mountains. In every season of the year, believers make a pilgrimage to the cave at an altitude of 3882 meters, which can be reached on foot from Batal and Pahalgam .
myth
Indian myths report that the god Shiva once revealed himself to the astonished eyes of the gods Brahma and Vishnu as a huge column, as a linga .
This Linga form of Shiva is worshiped in many temples . In the cave of Amarnath Shiva is said to have explained the secret of immortality to his wife Parvati . The two chose this remote location to prevent any living being from finding out their secret. Later, however, two pigeons hatched from a nest under a rock, and after listening to the story, they became immortal. Many pilgrims claim to have seen the pair of pigeons on their way to the cave.
phenomenon
Every year in the Hindu month of Shravan (July-August) a huge stalagmite of ice forms in the cave of Amarnath. Water drips from the ceiling, forms an ice plinth on the floor and a column of ice on top of it. This ice formation is reminiscent of a mighty linga. It is said that the size of the stalagmite increases and decreases with the phases of the moon. There is no scientific evidence for this claim.
Guardian of the cave
In front of the entrance to the cave, sadhus have settled as guardians, holy men who have renounced the world, live in dispossession and give themselves completely to their spiritual practice. Their job is to protect the linga from being touched by pilgrims. They throw flowers, coins, pearls and pieces of cloth as offerings onto the ice formation.
literature
- Peter Fiebag, Elmar Grube, Rainer Holbe: “Mystica. The great riddles of mankind. "
- Report and photos: George Shelly and Jean-Claude Fouchon: The long march to God made of ice . In: Geo-Magazin . Hamburg 1978, 8, pp. 6-24. (Experience report. "Every year in August, ..., thousands of devout Hindus ... gather for an arduous hike ... to the Amarnath Cave (3882 m)"). ISSN 0342-8311
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Amarnath Cave and the holy Lingam Shivas
- ↑ Amarnath Yatra, India ( Memento of the original dated May 2, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Ortner, Jon . On the road again . PDN Gallery .
Coordinates: 34 ° 13 ′ 0 ″ N , 75 ° 31 ′ 0 ″ E