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Amarnath Yatra
(SHIVA) Introduction
Amarnath Cave is named
after Mount Amarnath (5,486m a.s.l.), where it is located nearly 4000 m
high. Because of this height, the cave is covered with snow for most of
the year. Only for a short period in sommer, the entrance is accessible.
The cave is an ice cave, it contains a certain amount of ice stalagmites.
What does Shiv ling means?
The word Ling in shiv
ling has come from two words that is Leen and Gati. Leen means dissolve
and Gati means grow. It means man should dissolve(Leen) in shiva
then he should grow(Gati). (leen+ga)= ling.
Most people around the
globe think that meaning of ling in concerned with gent's sex point
but this is
totally wrong theory.
These are my views. Rajesh Chopra
he cave is a holy place
for Hindu pilgrims, because of its ice content. One very characteristic
pilar of ice is believed to be an ice lingham, the phallic symbol of Lord
Shiva. Two smaller ice stalagmite represent Parvati, his wife, and Ganesha,
his son. The Hindu pilgrims also believe, that the height of the lingham
increases and decreases with the phases of the moon. In the month of Shravan,
on the full moon in August, thousands of Hindus go on a pilgrimage up to
the cave. At this time the lingam reaches its biggest size. |
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The pilgrimage is somewhat
dangerous. The big height and the low temperature, combined with the under-nourished
state of many people, cost a yearly toll. Sometimes, like in 1996, bad
weather increases the number of fatalities dramatically.
A legend tells, that Shiva
explained the secret of creation to Parvati in the cave. Two mating doves
heard this and now live in the cave for eternity, being reborn again and
again. This legend is confirmed (at least in the eyes of believers) by
flocks of doves near the cave, with no vegetation around.
Another legend tells that
Kashyap Reshi drained a big lake, which became then the Kashmir valley
of today. The cave was discovered by Bregish Reshi
AUG-1996 260 people died
on their pilgrimage in the wake of a storm.
One
of the most important event during July/ August, is Amarnath Yatra
to the Holy Pilgrimage. This is an annual event when thousands of Hindus
from different corners of the Globe visit Amarnath caves. The pilgrims
trek from Pahalgam to these caves and worship the great ice Lingam.
Legend
has it that Shiva recounted to Parvati the secret of creation in a cave
in Amarnath. Unknow to them, a pair of mating doves 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 doves-pair when they trek the ardous route to pay obeisance before
the ice-lingam (the phallic symbol of Shiva).
This
is an event you certainly will talk about for the rest of your life.
SHRI
AMARNATH YATRA 8 DAYS 7 NIGHT
Day
1 Delhi/Srinagar
On
Arrival in Srinagar transfer to Houseboat. Afternoon city tour. Overnight
in Houseboat.
Day
2 Srinagar/Pahalgam(256kms)
Morning
Drive for Pahalgam. Check in Tented camp.
Day
3 Pahalgam/ Sheshnag
Early
Morning Depart to Sheshang. Overnight at the Camp.
Day
4 Sheshnag/Pahalgam
Morning
Depart to for Panchtarni. Overnight at the camp.
Day
5 Panchtarni/ Amarnath cave (6 kms altitude 3962mts)
Start
early morning for Amarnath cave, after darshan overnight at Panchtarni.
Day
6 Panchtarni/Pahalgam
After
Breakfast Depart for Pahalgam to Srinagar. Overnight at tented camp.
Day
7 Pahalgam/Srinagar
After
Breakfast Drive From Pahalgam to Srinagar. Overnight at Houseboat.
Day
8 Srinagar/Delhi
Departure
to the Airport for flight to Delhi. |
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There
is famous Rigvedic Verse that says "Ekam Sat " that is "There is one Being
,the sages call Him by many names." The God (Parmeshwar) has three
deities who carry on the world .This is Known as Holy Trinity. Brahma-
the creator, Vishnu - the perpetuator of life and Shiva (Mahesh ) -the
purifier and perpetuator of good and destroyer of evil. Rig Veda refer
Shiva as Rudra as in its following verse . "We Worship Tryambaka
(Rudra) , Who spread Fragrance and Increases Nourishment , May He release
me ,like the cucumber from its stem , From Mortal Life , But not From Immorality
. "(Rig Veda Mandal VII Sukta 59 and Mantra 12)
The Yajurveda describes Shiva as ascetic warrior Whose robe is of Deer
Skin and He carries Trishul .
According
to the verse Satyam, Shivam ,Sundaram ,the life is described as having
three facets Truth (Satyam), Good (Shivam) and the Beautiful (Sundaram).
Shiva is also worshipped for internal strength to carry on good deeds.
As Guru Gobind Singh pray "Deh Shiva Var Mohe Ahey ,Shubh Karman Te Kabhun
Na Tarun ,Na Darun Arson Jab Jaye Laroon, Nischey Kar Apni Jeet Karoon."(
O! Shiva bless me that I could never desist from Good deeds, I shall never
fear if I have to fight Evil , I Shall be victorious with certainty ."
Shiva is a living God. The most Sacred and ancient books of India,
the Rig Veda narrates His presence in the hymns. Vedic myths, rituals and
even astronomy testifies to His existence from the dawn of time .The Mohindaro
and Harapa findings confirm Shiva worship in the ancient India. According
to the older scriptures, He has three places of His residence. One
is Kailash Parvat another is Lohit Giri under which Brahamputra
flows and third is Muzwan Parvat .
The Amarnath Cave has special significance .
The Legend about the importance of Amarnath Cave is as follows
:-
This is The Cave which was chosen by Bhole Shankar for narrating
the secrets of immortality and creation of Universe to Maa Parvati
ji . The story goes like this . Centuries
ago Maa Parvati asked Shiv ji to let her know why and when
He started wearing the beads of heads ( Mund Mala) .
Bhole Shankar replied when ever you are born I add one more head
in my beads . Maa Parvati said ," My Lord, my body is destroyed
every time and I die again and again, but you are Immortal. Please
let me know the secret of this ." Bhole Shankar replied that it is due
to Amar Katha ."
Maa Parvati insisted that she may be told that secret. For long Shiva
ji continued postponing . Finally on consistent demand from
Maa Parvati He made up his mind to tell the immortal secret . He started
for lonely place where no living
being could listen it . He choose Amarnath Cave
. In preparation to that He left His Nandi ( The Bull which He used
to ride ) at Pahalgam (Bail gaon) . At Chandanwari He released
Moon from his hairs (Jataon). At the banks of Lake Sheshnag He released
the snakes . He decided to leave his Son Ganesha at Mahagunas Parvat
(Mahaganesh Hill ) . At Panjtarni, Shivji left the Five Elements
behind (Earth , Water, Air , Fire and Sky) which make living being
. He is the Lord of these elements. It is believed that as a symbol
of sacrificing the earthly world , Shivaji and Maa Parvati
had Tandav Dance . After leaving behind all these, Bhole Shankar enters
the Holy Amarnath Cave along with Parvati Maa . Lord Shiva takes his Samadhi
on the Deer Skin and concentrate . To ensure that no living being is able
to hear the Immortal Tale , He created Rudra named Kalagni and ordered
him to spread fire to eliminate every living thing in and around
the Holy Cave . After this He started narrating the secret of immortality
to Maa Parvati . But as a matter of chance one egg which was lying beneath
the Deer skin remained protected . It is believed to be non living
and more over it was protected by Shiva -Parvati Asan (Bed) . The
pair of pigeons which were born out of this egg became immortal
having listened the secret of immortality (Amar Katha).
Many
pilgrims report seeing the pair of pigeons when they trek the arduous
route to pay their obeisance before the Ice-Lingam (the phallic symbol
of Shiva). |
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| Who is Siva?
Understanding God As He
is worshiped at Kauai's Hindu Temple
God Siva is among the
most mysterious, complex, compassionate and profound conceptions of the
one
Supreme Being to be found
in the religions of mankind. He is looked upon as the Creator, Preserver
and
Destroyer of all existence,
the Cosmic Dancer who animates the universe from within. He is honored
as
Pure Love, Light, Energy
and Consciousness. He is contemplated as the timeless, formless and spaceless
Absolute Reality. In
all three of these perfections is Siva revered in Kauai's Hindu temple.
In Ways to Siva, curator
Joseph Dye Lahendro wrote: "Who is Siva? What is Siva? To His devotees,
Siva
is everything: He is
the root and support of the universe; He is the creative-destructive flow
of life that
rushes through it. He
is motion and calm, male and female, light and dark, ascetic and lover,
everything
and its opposite. Siva
is an ambiguous God who embodies, defines and reconciles within Himself
all of
life's processes and
paradoxes. Siva is existence. He embodies the structure of the universe."
Living with Siva, by Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami, explains, "Siva dances in the atoms throughout this
universe. Siva dances
energetically, eternally. Siva is eternal movement. His mind is all-pervasive,
and
thus He sees and knows
everything in all spheres simultaneously and without effort. Siva is the
Self, and
He is the energy we put
forth to know the Self. He is the mystery which makes us see Him as separate
from us. He is the energy
of life, the power in the wind. He is the dissolution called death, the
peace of
motionless air. He is
the great force of the ocean and the stillness on a calm lake. Siva is
All and in all.
Our great God Siva is
beyond time, beyond space, beyond form and form's creation, and yet He
uses
time and causes form.
He is in the sky, in the clouds, in the swirling galaxies. Siva's cosmic
dance of
creation, preservation
and dissolution is happening this very moment in every atom of the cosmos.
God
Siva is immanent, with
a beautiful human-like form which can actually be seen and has been seen
by
many mystics in visions."
Twenty centuries ago Rishi Tirumular, a South Indian saint, praised Siva's
dance: "In all worlds
He is, the Holy Lord. In darkness He is, light He is. In sun He is, in
moon He is.
Everywhere He is. The
Lord is in all creation. None knows His coming and going. He is distant.
He is
near. Multiple He is.
One He is. Water, earth, sky, fire and wind, the spark within the body--all
these He
is. He is the walking
soul here below. Deathless He is."
The religion of Siva:
Those who worship Lord Siva are Saivites, and their religion is called
Saivite
Hinduism. Saivism represents
roughly half, perhaps somewhat more, of Hinduism's one billion members.
It shares more common
ground than differences with other denominations. Scholars tell us Saivite
Hinduism is mankind's
oldest religion, the venerable Sanatana Dharma. They trace its roots back
6,000
years and more to the
Indus Valley civilization. But sacred writings and legend tell us that
there never was
a time when Saivism did
not exist. Its grandeur derives from a sweet tolerance for the views of
others,
coupled with a practical
culture, an emphasis on personal spiritual effort and experience, the perception
that God is everywhere
present, and therefore no aspect of life may be divided from religion,
and a
joyous devotion to the
one God which all men worship and which it knows as Siva, "the Auspicious
One," and the knowledge
that Truth lies within man himself.
The four sacred Vedas,
mankind's oldest scriptures, intone, "To Rudra [Siva], Lord of sacrifice,
of hymns
and balmy medicines,
we pray for joy and health and strength. He shines in splendor like the
sun,
refulgent as bright gold
is He, the good, the best among the Gods (Rig Veda 43.45)." "He is
God, hidden
in all beings, their
inmost soul who is in all. He watches the works of creation, lives in all
things, watches
all things. He is pure
consciousness, beyond the three conditions of nature (Yajur Veda, Svet.U.6.11)."
"There the eye goes not,
nor words, nor mind. We know not. We cannot understand how He can be
explained. He is above
the known, and He is above the unknown (Sama Veda, Kena U. 1.3)." "Fire
is His
head, the sun and moon
His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the
universe
His heart. From His feet
the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner Self of all beings. (Atharva
Veda,
Mund.U. 2.1.4)." |
