53-701: Amarnath may refer to: Places [ edit ] Amarnath Temple , Hindu shrine in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir, India Amarnath Peak , mountain in Ganderbal district of Kashmir, in the vicinity of Sonamarg Amarnath land transfer controversy , 2008 People [ edit ] As a surname [ edit ] Lala Amarnath (1911–2000), Indian Test cricketer Mohinder Amarnath (born 1950), Indian cricketer Surinder Amarnath (born 1948), Indian cricketer Gopi Amarnath , Indian cinematographer, who works in
106-468: A JKSRTC bus, which was plying from Jammu city to Pahalgam as part of an Amarnath Yatra convoy, fell into a 150-ft deep gorge near Nachlana area of Jammu 's Ramban district around 1:45 pm. 16 pilgrims had died on the spot, while two succumbed later to their injuries. This accident happened less than a week after a deadly terrorist attack on a bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Gujarat . On 8 July 2022, at around 5:30 pm, flash floods due to
159-512: A flash flood triggered by a cloudburst near the Lidder Valley en route to the venerated cave. The Amarnath Yatra was halted due to the flash flood on 8 July for 3 days. Saiddhantika Non - Saiddhantika According to legend, Sage Bhrigu was the first to discover Amarnath. A long time ago, it is believed that the Valley of Kashmir was underwater, and Sage Kashyapa drained it through
212-602: A 1978 Kannada film See also [ edit ] Amaranth (disambiguation) Amar (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Amarnath . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amarnath&oldid=1219857320 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Disambiguation pages with surname-holder lists Hidden categories: Short description
265-406: A disaster or medical emergency, each pilgrim and vehicle is given a unique wearable traceable identification tag which are scanned at the several designated places along the pilgrim route. Since 2019, pilgrims are given identification cards for the duration of the pilgrimage which are scanned at several locations for tracing the pilgrims. Similarly, the vehicles are also tracked via the tags, so that
318-441: A localised cloudburst near the holy cave shrine washed away scores of pilgrims. According to reports, at least fifteen pilgrims died in the incident . Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the 15 pilgrims who died in the flash floods. Anantnag district Anantnag district is an administrative district of Indian -administered Jammu and Kashmir in
371-461: A night's stay. Srinagar Pilgrimage Centre, with capacity to host 3000 yatris , facilitates pilgrims' stay who are travelling for the holy pilgrimage. The state government began its construction in May 2022. Every year, thousands of central armed forces and state police personnel are deployed to provide security to pilgrims from potential terror threats. The forces position at various halts and also on
424-558: A peak, crossing 6.3 lakh (630,000) pilgrims. In 2018 pilgrims numbered 2.85 lakh (285,000). The annual pilgrimage varies between 20 and 60 days. The Amarnath cave, abode of the Mahamaya Shakti Pitha , is one of the 51 Shakti Pithas , the temples of the Indian subcontinent that commemorate the location of the fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati . The Shiva Lingam at the shrine
477-454: A population density of 375 inhabitants per square kilometre (970/sq mi). Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 37.48%. Anantnag had a sex ratio of 927 females for every 1,000 males (this varies with religion) and a literacy rate of 64.32% in 2011. Anantnag city with population of 108,505 was the largest city in the district. Anantnag Urban Agglomeration had a population of 158,785. The predominant language of
530-456: A series of rivers and rivulets. As a result, when the waters drained, Bhrigu was the first to have darshan of Shiva at Amarnath. Thereafter, when people heard of the lingam , it became an abode of Shiva for all believers and the site of an annual pilgrimage, traditionally performed by lakhs of people in July and August during the Hindu holy month of Savan. It is believed that Shiva left Nandi ,
583-401: A total area of 3,574 square kilometres (1,380 sq mi). The district is bordered by Kargil district and Kishtwar district in the east, Doda district and Ramban district to the south and Ganderbal district to the north and Kulgam , Srinagar , Pulwama and Shopian districts to the west. Anantnag features a moderate climate ( Köppen climate classification . Anantnag's climate
SECTION 10
#1732851332499636-609: Is Mian Altaf Ahmed Larvi of the JKNC . The DDC chairperson of the district is Yousuf Gorsi of JKNC which is part of the PAGD . Languages of Anantnag district (2011) According to the 2011 census Anantnag district had a population of 1,078,692, roughly equal to the nation of Cyprus or the US state of Rhode Island . This gives it a ranking of 425th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has
689-433: Is 33 °C and the record low is -18 °C. On 5–6 January 2012, after years of relatively little snow, a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures shocked the city covering it in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing them to officially declare a state of emergency and calling the following two days (6 and 7 January) off for the whole valley. Anantnag has seen an increase in relative humidity and annual precipitation in
742-471: Is a Swayambhu lingam. The lingam is a natural stalagmite formation inside a 40 m (130 ft) tall cave at an elevation of 3,888 m (12,756 ft) on the Amarnath Mountain , which has a peak of 5,186 metres (17,014 ft). The stalagmite is formed due to the freezing of water drops that fall from the roof of the cave onto the floor, resulting in an upward growth of an ice formation. Here,
795-753: Is a country where the sun shines mildly, being the place created by Kashayapa as if for his glory. High school-houses, the saffron, iced water and grapes, which are rare even in heaven, are common here. Kailasa is the best place in the three worlds, Himalaya the best part of Kailásá, and Kashmir the best place in Himalaya.'" " Sir Walter Lawrence writes in his book The Valley of Kashmir that in latitude Kashmir corresponds with Peshawar, Baghdad and Damascus in Asia: with Fez in Morocco: and South Carolina in America, but it presents none of
848-776: Is along the Amarnath valley and all along the route one can see the Amaravati river (a tributary of Chenab ) which originates from the Amarnath Glacier. Bhrigu 's Amarnath Mahatmya identifies a number of locations on the pilgrimage route to the Amarnath cave: Shurahyar, Shivpora, Pandrethan, Pampore, Javati, Awantipur, Barsu, Jaubror, Belihar, Wagahama, Chakreshwar (Tsakdar), Hari Chandar, Sthalwat (Thajwor), Suryai Gohwat (Sriguphvara), Lambodari, Sirham, Bodrus, Bala Khelyan, Ganish, Mammaleshwar, Bhrigupati Kshetra, Nila Ganga, Pissu Hill (Pissu Top), Sheshnag, Wavjan, Panchtarni, Amravati. On
901-552: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Amarnath Temple Traditional Amarnath Temple is a Hindu shrine located in the Pahalgam tehsil of the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir , India. It is a cave situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,756 ft), about 168 km from Anantnag city , the district headquarters, 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar ,
954-546: Is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Karakoram to its east and the Pirpanjal range to the south. It can be generally described as cool in the spring and autumn, mild in the summer, and cold in the winter. As a large city with significant differences in Geolocation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly areas of the east as compared to the flat northern part of Anantnag. Summer
1007-540: Is motorable till Baltal and Baltal-Amarnath foot track takes one to two days return trip. Once the NH501 from Pahalgam-Chandanwari to Baltal is completed, including Sheshnag-Sangam tunnel under the Mahaguns Top (Ganesh Top), this route will become motorable except the last 3 km from Sangam to Amarnath cave. This shorter route is just about 14 km long, but has a very steep gradient and is quite difficult to climb. The route
1060-610: Is motorable up to Chandanwari, which will become motorable up to Sangam after construction of NH501 Chandanwari-Baltal Highway which includes Khanabal-Baltal Tunnel (Sheshnag Tunnel) under the Mahaganus Top (Ganesh Top), see "Transport" section above. Once completed, all the route will become motorable except the last 3 km from Sangam to Amarnath cave. It runs from Baltal basecamp to Domail – 2 km, Barari – 5 km, Sangam (T-section for South route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari) – 4 km, Amarnath cave - 3 km. This track
1113-526: Is the Amarnath cave, where blocks of ice, stalagmites formed by dripping water from the roof are worshipped by many Hindus who resort here as images of Shiva...." In 1895, pilgrims would first travel to Kheer Bhawani for a brief stop. Sustained by free rations from the state, the pilgrims would then travel to Srinagar. From Srinagar, in batches, the pilgrims would then head up Lidder Valley , stopping at locations for holy dips. At Mach Bawan, local Hindus would join them. Maliks of Batkoot were responsible for
SECTION 20
#17328513324991166-472: Is usually mild and with a little rain, but relative humidity is generally high and the nights are cool. The precipitation occurs throughout the year but no one month is particularly dry. The hottest month is July (mean minimum temperature 6 °C, mean maximum temperature 32 °C) and the coldest are December–January (mean minimum temperature -15 °C, mean maximum temperature 0 °C). Weather conditions are unpredictable. The record high temperature
1219-464: The 622,000 yatra pilgrims in 2012, 130 died during the yatra. The major cause was attributed to people who were not physically fit for the arduous climb, high elevations, and adverse weather undertaking the yatra. Some also died in road accidents before reaching the base camp from where the yatra starts. Of the 130 deaths, 88 were due to purported health reasons and 42 in road accidents. On 16 July 2017, 18 pilgrims died and many were seriously injured after
1272-533: The Amarnath Cave along with Parvati and both of them manifested into a lingam made of ice. Shiva became the lingam of ice and Parvati became the yoni of rock. Pilgrims visit the holy site during the 45-day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July–August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shraavana . The Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage occurs when the iced stalagmite Shiva lingam reaches
1325-585: The Shivling find mention in Abu'l Fazl 's 16th century work Ain-i-Akbari . According to him, the site attracted many pilgrims. He describes the waxing and waning of the lingam according to the seasons and the moon. François Bernier , a French physician, accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb during his visit to Kashmir in 1663. In his book Travels in Mughal Empire , he provides an account of the places he visited, noting that he
1378-639: The South Route which will connect the South and North yatra routes via the highway tunnel. In January 2023, MoRTH 's NHIDCL invited RFP submissions by vendors by 20 February 2023 for preparation of DPR (detailed project report) which will take 10 months to prepare, subsequently after 2 months long pre-construction preparation the construction will take 5 years, with the target completion date of 31 March 2029 (total 6 years). Devotees travel on two main routes which are partially motorable and partially foot-track near to
1431-966: The Tamil film industry Palani Amarnath (born 1982), Indian cricketer K. Amarnath (1914–1983), Indian film producer and director Satish Amarnath , Indian microbiologist As a given name [ edit ] Amar Nath (1909–1996), Indian classical vocalist Amarnath Sehgal (1922–2007), Indian sculptor, painter and poet, Padma Bhushan (2008) Amarnath Gami (born 1967), Indian politician Amarnath Pradhan (born 1958), Indian politician and member of Parliament Amarnath Vidyalankar (1901–1985), Indian freedom fighter, journalist, social worker and member of Parliament Amarnath Jha (died 1947), Vice Chancellor of University of Allahabad and Banaras Hindu University Other [ edit ] Amarnath Express , Indian Railways train that runs between Guwahati and Jammu Tawi in India Amarnath (film) ,
1484-453: The apex of its waxing phase through the summer months. The period of July–August is a popular time for the pilgrimage. The beginning of the annual pilgrimage is marked by pratham pujan ( transl. first prayer ). The time frame, during which the pilgrimage remains open, depends on the formation of iced lingam. For example, in 1995 the pilgrimage remained open for 20 days. From 2004 to 2009, it remained open for 60 days. During
1537-523: The bull, at Pahalgam (Bail Gaon). At Chandanwari, he released the Moon from his hair (Jata). On the banks of Lake Sheshnag, he released his snake . At Mahagunas Parvat (Mahaganesh Mountain), he left his son Ganesha . At Panjtarni, Shiva left behind the five elements – Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Sky. As a symbol of sacrificing the earthly world, Shiva performed the Tandava Dance. Then, finally, Shiva entered
1590-421: The cave; thereafter, the lingam gradually wanes. Religious beliefs hold that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival. Hindus believe this is the place where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati . Lidder Valley , where the cave is located, has a number of glaciers. In 2009, glaciologist M. N. Koul,
1643-601: The characteristics of those countries. People have linked the climate of Kashmir to that of Switzerland until the end of May, and of Southern France in July and August. But it is impossible to speak of Kashmir as possessing any one climate or group of characteristics. Every hundred feet of elevation brings some new phase of climate and of vegetation." Anantnag district has 7 assembly constituencies: Anantnag , Anantnag West , Dooru , Kokernag , Shangus-Anantnag East , Bijbehara and Pahalgam . Anantnag district has one Lok Sabha constituency . The present MP of Anantnag-Rajouri
Amarnath - Misplaced Pages Continue
1696-607: The disputed Kashmir region. It is one of ten districts which make up the Kashmir Valley . The district headquarters is Anantnag city. As of 2011, it was the third most populous district of Jammu and Kashmir (out of 22 ), after Jammu and Srinagar . At the time of the 2011 census, Anantnag district comprised: Anantnag , Bijbehara , Dooru , Kokernag , Pahalgam , and Shangus tehsils . The district consisted of seven blocks: Breng, Shangus, Achabal , Dachnipora , Qazigund , Khoveripora and Shahabad. Anantnag district has
1749-586: The district is Kashmiri which is spoken by 85.10% of the population. The second largest language is Gujari which is 11.46%, while Pahari is third with 1.21% of the population. The nearest airport is Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar located 60 kilometres from district headquarters Anantnag . There is a nearby airbase in Awantipora which is used by the Indian Air Force . Anantnag district
1802-587: The entire pilgrimage can be traced. Nearest airport is Srinagar International Airport . Nearest railway stations are on the Jammu-Baramulla line - Srinagar railway station for the north pilgrim route through Baltal and Anantnag railway station for the south route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari. The State Road Transport Corporation and private transport operators provide the regular services from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal. Also privately hired taxis are available from Jammu, Anantnag, Pahalgam, Srinagar, etc. On
1855-465: The following years, it remained open for between 40 and 60 days. In 2019, the Yatra remained open for 46 days from 1 July to 15 August. Pilgrims have to pre-register months in advance and are allotted quotas according to state . States comprising a majority of the allotment include Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal. To ensure the health and safety of the pilgrims, such as during
1908-594: The former head of the geography department at the University of Jammu , has said that while more scientific studies are needed, contributors to change in lingam size could include changes in the water's pathways to the lingam. The cave is made of limestone and gypsum. Heat generated by tourists affects the size of the stalagmite. Outside temperature changes also affect their size. To minimize artificially induced temperature changes, helicopter trips and helipad sites are regulated. There has been talk of artificially extending
1961-928: The holy cave: the shorter but steeper 13 km northern route from Baltal Basecamp, and the longer but easier and busier 43 km Pahalgam - Chandanwari basecamp route. It begins with a 43 kilometres (27 mi) mountainous trek from the Nunwan and Chandanwari basecamp at Pahalgam and reaches the cave-shrine after night halts at Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni camps. The journey from Pahalgam takes about five days. It runs from Pahalgam (on Jammu-Srinagar NH) to Chandanwari Basecamp (9,500 ft) – 16 km, Pissu Top – 3 km, Zoji Bal-Naga Koti-Sheshnag (11,730 ft) – 9 km, Waribal-Mahaguns Yop (Ganesh Top, 14,500 ft) – 4.6 km, Pabibal-Panchtarni (22,729 ft)-Sangam (T-section for North route via Baltal) – 6 km, Amarnath cave – 3 km. The whole foot track route takes three to five days one way. The route
2014-477: The last few years. This is most likely because of the commercial afforestation projects which also includes expanding parks and green cover. The suburb parts of Anantnag are lusher than the central part. Anantnag District possesses all the typical characteristics of the climate of Kashmir Valley as a whole. "In his introduction to the Rajtarangini Kulan or Kalhána , Pandit says about the climate of Valley: 'It
2067-495: The life of the stalagmites; this was met with objections. The book Rajatarangini (Book VII v. 183) refers to Krishaanth or Amarnath. It is believed that in the 11th century CE, Queen Suryamati gifted trishulas , banalingas and other sacred emblems to this temple. Rajavalipataka , begun by Prajna Bhatta , contains detailed references to the pilgrimage to Amarnath Cave Temple. In addition, there are further references to this pilgrimage in many other ancient texts. The cave and
2120-430: The pandemic, the union territory government on 4 July announced that only 500 people would be permitted road travel to the shrine and everyone entering Jammu and Kashmir would be tested for COVID-19, and quarantined until their reports came back negative. The pilgrimage was later cancelled on 21 July due to the pandemic, with cases of coronavirus in the union territory increasing greatly since 1 July. Facilities for viewing
2173-399: The perimeter of the shrine. These include CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, NDRF/SDRF and state police and traffic police. The yatra is a source of revenue for the state government by imposing tax on pilgrims. Local Muslim Bakarwal-Gujjars also make a living by offering services to the Hindu pilgrims. This source of income has been threatened by the militant groups who have harassed and attacked
Amarnath - Misplaced Pages Continue
2226-476: The prayer ceremony online were made available. The shrine board on 27 March 2022 decided to resume the pilgrimage after a gap of two years, starting from 30 June and lasting for 43 days, while following protocols to prevent the spread of COVID. On 8 July 2022, at least 16 people were killed, over 40 missing, and dozens were injured while around 15000 pilgrims were stranded near the Amarnath Holy cave due to
2279-469: The return journey Mamleshwar and Naudal are crossed. Following the construction of drivable road, alignment of this pilgrimage route has presently changed at some places (which has now become "South route" - see above). Officially, the Yatra is organised by the government in collaboration with the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB). Various agencies provide necessary facilities all along
2332-415: The route during the Yatra period, which includes provision of ponies, supply of power, telecommunication facilities, firewood and setting up of fair price shops. En route to the cave, various non-governmental organisations have set up food supply and resting tents called pandals which are available for free to the pilgrims. Near the shrine, hundreds of tents which are erected by locals can be hired for
2385-651: The route during these years. Sister Nivedita , in Notes of Some Wanderings with the Swami Vivekananda , writes of Swami Vivekananda 's visit to the cave in 1898. The Amarnath pilgrimage was suspended in July 2016 due to the Kashmir unrest . Some Sufis and Shias later demanded resumption of the Yatra. Kalbe Jawad , a Shia cleric and general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind and Sufi cleric Hasnain Baqai expressed concern that
2438-467: The south route via Pahalgam-Chandanwari, the helicopter services from Chandanwari base camp to Panjtarni (6 km from the cave) are also available from various private operators. Chandanwari-Sangam Highway as part of NH501 , including 11 km long Khanabal-Baltal Tunnel (Sheshnag Tunnel) under the Mahaganus Top (Ganesh Top), is the 22 km long greenfield section of the national highway on
2491-504: The stalagmites considered as the lingam, a physical manifestation of Shiva, form a solid-dome-shape. Two smaller stalagmites are thought to represent Parvati and Ganesha . According to the ancient Hindu texts of the Mahabharata and Puranas a lingam represents Shiva. The lingam waxes during May to August, as snow melts in the Himalayas above the cave, and water seeps into the rocks of
2544-516: The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir , reached through either Sonamarg or Pahalgam . It is an important shrine in Hinduism . The cave, located in Sind Valley , is surrounded by glaciers , snowy mountains and is covered with snow most of the year, except for a short period in the summer, when it is open to pilgrims. In 1989, pilgrims numbered between 12,000 and 30,000. In 2011, the numbers reached
2597-526: The tradition had been suspended because of upheaval in Kashmir. The pilgrimage was suspended in August 2019 after the state government stated there was a threat of terrorist attacks. Similarly, the pilgrimage to Machail Mata was suspended as well. However, it was also speculated that the Yatra suspension might have been linked to the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir . The annual pilgrimage
2650-419: The way to the cave. In 1969 a cloudburst resulted in the death of 40 pilgrims. The 1996 Amarnath Yatra tragedy involved the death of 243 pilgrims due to exhaustion and exposure. In July 2012, 12 pilgrims were killed in a road accident. The pilgrims were part of a team who had set up a community kitchen at the pilgrimage. Three people were killed and more injured due to a cloudburst at Baltal in 2015. Of
2703-535: The yatra numerous times. The number of annual pilgrims having generally rising consistently from between 12,000 -20,000 -30,000 in 1989, to over 400,000 in 2007, 634,000 in 2011, 622,000 in 2012, 350,000 in 2013, 285,006 in 2018. Sir Walter Roper Lawrence in The Valley of Kashmir (1895) writes that the difficulty of the pilgrimage route affected the weak and sick, with many also falling victim to cholera . In 1928, over 500 pilgrims and mules died on
SECTION 50
#17328513324992756-502: Was "pursuing journey to a grotto full of wonderful congelations, two days journey from Sangsafed" when he "received intelligence that my Nawab felt very impatient and uneasy on account of my long absence." The "grotto" referenced in this passage is the Amarnath cave — as the editor of the second edition of the English translation of the book, Vincent A. Smith, makes clear in his introduction. He writes: "The grotto full of wonderful congelations
2809-541: Was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic. On 22 April 2020, the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board announced the suspension of the Yatra because of the COVID-19 pandemic in India . Later however it withdrew the press circular and announced cancellation of the suspension. Lieutenant Governor G. C. Murmu said that a final decision would depend on future developments related to the pandemic. In light of
#498501