Explained: The legend and significance of the Amarnath Yatra that returns after a two-year break

After a hiatus of two long years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Amarnath Yatra in South Kashmir will begin from 30 June. Last year, the pilgrimage was announced through the Baltal and Chandanwari routes from 28 June, however, it was cancelled due to an increase in the COVID-19 cases.

The annual yatra to the shrine of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas is among the most revered Hindu pilgrimages as hundreds of devotees take up the arduous journey each year. According to Economic Times, on an average 2,000-3,500 tourists visit the shrine per year. In 2011, it received about 634,000 people, the highest recorded number for the site.

Even though there is no official record of when the yatra had formally began, let’s take a look at why hundreds of thousands of pilgrims go on the religious trek:

What is the legend behind Amarnath yatra?

According to legend, the Amarnath cave was chosen by Lord Shiva when he decided to tell his consort Parvati the secret of his immortality (Amar Katha).

Located at the altitude of 3,888 metres above the sea level, the cave is only accessible by foot or on a pony through a steep path in Sonmarg in Kashmir.

To reach the shrine, pilgrims have to travel 46 km from Pahalgam or 16 km from Baltal.

As per the lore, a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik had accidently discovered the cave in 1850. It is said that Malik was herding his animals high up in the mountains, when a Sufi saint gave him a bagful of coal.

Back home, when Malik opened the bag he found it to be full of gold. The ecstatic shepherd returned to the spot to thank the saint, but he could not find anyone. He instead found the ice lingam in the cave.

According to The Indian Express, the ice lingam represents Lord Shiva and is formed by a trickle of water from a cleft in the roof of the cave.

The Shivling reaches its full shape in May every year, before beginning to melt again. By August, it is only a few feet in height.

Two smaller ice shapes near the Shivling represent Parvati and Lord Ganesh.

Security threats and natural calamities The geographic location of the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir makes it vulnerable to terror attacks.

The pilgrimage has been targeted by terrorists several times over the years. According to The Indian Express, to protest the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Pakistan-based Harkat-ul-Ansar had announced a ban on the yatra in 1993. The local militant groups did not back its demands and the yatra progressed unhindered through the peak years of militancy.

It was in 2000 that militants targeted Amarnath pilgrims. The attack on the Pahalgam base camp left 25 people dead, including 17 pilgrims. Over the two years that followed, several Yatris were killed in big and small attacks.

In July 2017, seven pilgrims were killed in a terror attack on their bus. Days later, the government told Lok Sabha that 53 pilgrims had been killed and 167 injured in 36 terror attacks on the annual Amarnath Yatra in the last 27 years since 1990.

Apart from terror attacks, natural tragedies have also claimed the lives of pilgrims. As many as 242 lives were lost during blizzards in the 1990s. In 1996, 250 pilgrims died due to extreme weather and 130 people died in 2012 as they were not physically fit for the climb, the Economic Times reported. With inputs from agencies

Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .