The holiest of the holy shrines of Amarnath is that of Lord Shiva, who is here in the form of an 'Ice Linga'. The distance from Panchtarani, the last halt on the road, to the shrine is only a few kilometres. The path goes along the River Panchtarani. It is believed that one who crosses the river is relieved of the cycle of life and death and attains Nirvana. Panchtarani means deliverer from five bondages. It is believed to free you from the five sins of vanity, anger, greed, jealousy and attachment and also from the four stages of life and the fifth stage, death.

Death is looked upon as a frozen state, just as the river is always in a frozen state. However, it is also a mother river contributing water to the tributaries of the Sindhu and the Jhelum rivers. Dying in Amarnath is supposed to be a sure way to attain Nirvana. Many sadhus and yogis used to choose to die here. In olden days, when our ancestors left for the Yatra, relatives would mourn for them and conduct their death rites before they left. Such were the odds against their safe return! There were no arrangements for food and shelter, safety and security along the way. Many older pilgrims chose to die there while even for the young and strong, it was a perilous venture.

According to legend, the Muslim chief of a shepherd clan discovered the cave of Amarnath several hundred years ago by accident. He had lost his sheep and, looking for them, he climbed higher and higher till he reached the cave. An amazing sight greeted him. Outside the cave, a very handsome man and a most beautiful woman were sitting on a bull. The man had a serpent around his neck. Dazed as he was, the shepherd chief asked them if they had seen his sheep. They said his sheep had already reached home. They touched the sack of firewood he had collected for his wife and told him to return. Before going, he saw them disappearing into the cave.

At home, he found his sheep had returned and when his wife opened the sack, she saw the firewood had turned into gold bars. Astonished and perplexed by the mystery, he went down hill to the Hindu village of Ganeshpuri and spoke to the Pandits there. Having heard the whole episode, the Pandits concluded that those he had seen were none else than Shiva, Parvati and Nandi and that he had been blessed by them.

The Shephed Chief took the Chief Pandit to the cave. Inside, however, they saw only a pair of pigeons and an ice lingam. Since such birds at that altitude were unusual, they concluded that Shiva and Parvati had taken the form of pigeons. The priest stayed back to tend the shrine. Since then, muslim shepherds have been the guardians of the shrine and the pathway to it and Hindu Pandits of Ganeshpuri the priests of the shrine. Worship is conducted as long as weather permits till snow engulfs the cave. The income from the shrine, if any, is divided between these two families and their descendants who have hereditary rights. The discovery of many old manuscripts show that the cave was known to ancient Shaivites. According to Shaivite literature like the Shiv Purana and Shaiva Sidhanta, this is the site of the dialogues between the Shiva and Parvati, which contain the essence of Shaivite philosophy. To pilgrims, the sight of a pair of pigeons in or around the shrine is regarded as the highest blessing.

Over the years, the holy cave has become a major pilgrim destination. The yatra starts every year from Damdami Akhara in Srinagar where the mace of Shiva is kept. Sadhus and sages travelling on foot bring the mace to the holy cave in a procession. My father, an ardent devotee of Shiva and a wrestler of the Damdami Akhara, travelled many times to Amarnath with the procession of Sadhus between 1926 and 1948. My father's wife had had several miscarriages. My grandfather decided to go on a family pilgrimage to Amarnath to beg the Lord for a child. On their return, they found that my stepmother had conceived again. She delivered a normal male child on March 14, 1939. In gratitude, the child was named Shiv Kumar (the son of Shiva). He is now a well-known architect in Victoria, Canada.

(to be continued next week...)